DLSU participates in MM Shake Drill in anticipation of “The Big One”

Last July 30, DLSU participated in the Metro Manila Shake Drill, a metro-wide earthquake drill conducted simultaneously in different institutions, including schools, churches, businesses and government offices in the Metropolitan Manila area. The drill follows predictions from seismologists that a long overdue 7.2-magnitude earthquake is bound to hit Manila in the near future.

Could La Salle be like Ground Zero? — Here’s an analysis and infographic on possible building damage, liquefaction risk, and fire spread for different cities and campuses in Metro Manila.

The drill, conducted by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), was held to “increase the metro’s chances of better recovery and implementation of contingencies in the event of earthquakes.” As reported by The Philippine Star , an estimated number of 6.5 million people participated in the drills.

At 10:30 am, a sound recording signaling the start of the drill was played over the public announcement system at DLSU. Students, faculty, and staff were evacuated from different buildings on campus, and were directed by drill marshalls, along with the incident response team, to the Henry Sy Sr. Hall grounds. Nearby, a firetruck and ambulance were on standby while a fire was simulated at the third floor of the Velasco building.

_DSC7154 [] — During last week’s shake drill, students, faculty members, and staff of the Lasallian community are ushered into safety.

Safety Office Director Dr. Jocelyn Dayanan stated that the drill is only one of the first of many DLSU will be holding in the next few months. According to Dr. Dayanan, both the Safety and Security Offices will be involved in creating a baseline for the next drills to be conducted on campus. She explained, “[Our] target is familiarity with the procedure. We want [people] to know the response and where to evacuate [in the event of an actual earthquake].”

Dr. Dayanan stated that the next steps for the University’s incident response team is to evaluate the drill, identify the gaps and problems which occurred during the drill, and address them one by one.

For more on DLSU and Metro Manila’s plans on the forthcoming crisis, visit our feature on how — Metro Manila, DLSU lay out plans for the “Big One.”

Dr. Dayanan also endorsed the recently established DLSU Safety Advocates and Volunteer Emergency Responders 111 (SAVERS 111), a volunteer organization created through the efforts of the Office of the Vice President for Administration. SAVERS 111 is open to members of the Lasallian community willing and able to “participate, plan, execute, and evaluate the emergency drills” held in the University and assist in matters relevant to emergency and disaster response.