Mayor Sara Duterte extended her congratulations and gratitude to all participants of the second Citywide Shakeout Drill.
In a statement delivered by City Administration Zuleika Lopez during yesterday’s flag raising ceremony, the mayor lauded the efforts of the partners and those in direct action like the security cluster (police, military, and fire personnel), Public Safety Command Center, Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, and Disaster Action Teams.
Also getting a good remark is the Human Resource Management Office under Erwin Alparaque for the evacuation of the government officials to the Crocodile Park, the site for the Emergency Operation Centers (EOCs).
Lopez cited that the mayor positively commented on the turnout of the drill.
Lopez emphasized that disaster risk and mitigation is among the key areas of the Byaheng Do30 program of Mayor Duterte’s administration.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) Training Director and Administrative Officer Lyndon Ancajas said they recorded at 107,000 participants from the different offices and establishments in the city as of Saturday, a day after the drill.
The figure excludes the private and public school participants because they have not yet submitted their attendance report.
More 500,000 participants were expected from the academic institutions.
It was a noted increase of participants compared to the previous year’s event, which was joined by at least 600,000 participants. A day after that 2017 drill, an attendance of 30,000 was reported.
Ancajas also added that last Friday’s drill was successful as there were no untoward incidents throughout the drill duration.
Ancajas added that participants from the coastal areas also increased especially on the light of the recent calamities that hit the coastal barangay. Recently, a waterspout and monsoon waves hit some barangays in the districts of Agdao, Talomo and Poblacion.
He also added that through their Information Education Communication (IEC) programs, a lot of unexpected participants attended the drill.
The training director, however, noted that there is a need to beef up the joint field hospital for next year. Should there be actual cases needing joint field hospitals, they have already identified gaps such as the need to improve facilities and reinforce technical skills among the responders.
He also added that they are working to provide more trainings to responders for next year.
This year’s drill recorded a participation of 500 responders.
