The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) has denounced the failure of local school administrators to realize the importance of earthquake drills to prepare teachers and students for such emergencies.
Philvocs Regional Officer in-Charge Allan Rommel Labayog said that only one school, Pilar Colleges, participated during the nationwide earthquake drill recently.
Labayog said that although there are 50 schools in this city that were all supposed to participate in the drill, only one private school complied with the mandated quake drill.
Last year, only three schools participated in the drill.
This simultaneous Nationwide Earthquake Drill is in line with the celebration of the National Disaster Consciousness Month which started last July 1 with the theme "Pag alerto, malayo sa peligro."
Labayog said that in the case of Pilar College run by the religious sisters, the drill went well but he noted some lapses, like the alarm system of the school is not functioning well.
During fire drill, the students are supposed to rush out of the buildings following indicated passageways, but in the case of an earthquake drill, the students and teachers are supposed to take cover inside the classrooms and will rush out only after the tremor has subsided.
He explained that this earthquake drill is important so that students will know what to do in case of earthquakes.
He explained that the city is prone to tsunami and earthquakes because of the presence of the Sulu trench and the Cotabato trench.
It will be noted that some city buildings suffered cracks in the August 16, 1976 earthquake whose epicenter was somewhere in Cotabato City. - PNA
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