MANILA – In observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month 2019, the Department of Social Welfare and Development – National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR), in partnership with Bureau of Fire Protection, conducted an earthquake drill on July 26, 2019 to stir up full participation and evaluate the actual response of all Field Office personnel during times of emergency situations. Led by DSWD-NCR’s Disaster Response Management Division (DRMD), the activity used the Field Office’s (FO) grounds and the San Rafael Street as the evacuation area.

As part of the drill, the DRMD set up an Incident Command Post simulation led by Mr. Bienvenido Barbosa, Officer In Charge of the Division, wherein the emergency action center of the disaster response team will be held in the event of calamities. Disaster relief such as food distribution was also practiced in an organized manner. The Field Office was also able to test the two (2) new generator sets donated by the National Resource and Logistics Management Bureau, in preparation for the event of a power outage.

All FO personnel including the clients cooperated in the evacuation activity, which resulted zero casualties in the area. Various personnel also carried out roles as part of the DSWD-NCR Disaster Response Team. Mr. Alex Cabales, representing the Regional Director as the Responsible Officer of the Region, and Mr. Barbosa as the Incident Commander, facilitated the post-mortem assessment and evaluation of the activity to gear FO personnel towards a disaster-resilient office.

The DSWD-NCR is committed not only in providing immediate relief and response during disaster situations, but also in creating an emergency-prepared comunity within and around the Field Office; therefore will continue supporting all disaster awareness, preparedness, and mitigation efforts of the government whether at the local or at the national level. ###