Bukidnon’s Valencia City tests worst-case earthquake scenario in drill

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) elevated local disaster response protocols during the 3rd Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill on Thursday.

June Ray Valero, CDRRMO chief, noted that this quarter’s simulation tested high-level emergency mechanisms by executing a worst-case scenario featuring the live extraction of simulated victims from buildings.

READ: Disaster drills helped prevent more deaths in Mindanao quake

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Sirens sounded across the city at 2:00 p.m., driving participants from all 31 barangays, schools, hospitals, private establishments, local police personnel, and national line agencies to simultaneously execute the “Duck, Cover, and Hold” protocol before transitioning to coordinated rescue operations.

Valero emphasized that active collaboration among barangay DRRMO personnel and institutional safety officers was vital in evaluating the city’s overall disaster preparedness and interagency coordination efficiency. /mcm