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8ID
chief MGen. Jet Velarmino (3rd from R), Samar governor Sharee
Ann Tan, Director Rey Gozon of Regional Disaster Risk Reduction
Management Council, 801st brigade commander Col. Leoncio Cirunay
Jr. and PSupt. Oliver Cinco of Provincial Public Mobile Company
PNP Catbalogan City during the evaluation and review after
Simultaneous Earthquake Drill. |
8ID joins
nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill
By DPAO, 8ID PA
March 30, 2015
CAMP VICENTE LUKBAN,
Catbalogan City – The 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division joins
the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED 2015) conducted at
Samar Provincial Capitol, Catbalogan City at around 9:00 in the
morning of March 27, 2015.
The drill was conducted in
compliance with the National Government’s directive of increasing the
province’s preparedness in the event of a catastrophic earthquake if
such situation will arise in the future especially that Samar is
situated in a disaster prone area.
Sirens rang at 9 a.m.
signaling that an intensity 8 earthquake struck Samar Province with
its epicenter at the City of Catbalogan, severely damaging the Capitol
Building. Immediately, responders established an incident command post
(ICP) and conducted rescue operations, as well as search and retrieval
operations in various scenarios.
The activity was followed by
a debriefing and after action review in order to discuss actions that
necessitate improvements coupled with good disaster response practices
that needs to be emulated. Further, plans based on the result of the
drill were presented in order for the province to have continuity in
its disaster response awareness and instill pro activeness to the
people in dealing with a massive earthquake.
The activity was spearheaded
by Major General Jet B Velarmino, the 8ID Commander, Governor Sharee
Ann Tan of Samar, PSUPT Oliver Cinco of Provincial Public Mobile
Company PNP Catbalogan City, Rey Gozon of Regional Disaster Risk
reduction Management Council, Col Leoncio A Cirunay Jr, the 801st
Brigade Commander and other agencies and organizations that includes
Bureau of Fire, Catbalogan City, Access 5, Kabalikat Civic Com, Office
of the Civil Defense, Philippine Information Agency Region 8 and other
attendees coming from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development
and the media.
Governor Tan for her part
said,” We will involve the province especially the youth in disaster
training in order to address disaster situation, likewise, our aim is
to develop this skills and utilize them in helping the community.”
On the other hand, Major
General Jet B. Velarmino, Commander of the 8th Infantry Division,
Philippine Army whose personnel and equipment were the main resources
deployed as “first responders” during the drill, said, “We are willing
to share the experiences of our units as well as the skills that we
learned in disaster preparedness. I have personally seen and
experienced the earthquake that devastated Baguio City in July 1990
and cadets of the Philippine Military Academy where the first
responders during that tragedy. And we learned a lot from that
experience. And today, we have that skill and resources to react on
simultaneous earthquake situations that we can employ to prevent, if
not mitigate loss of lives that this disaster may bring in our
province”.
