05/11/2025
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐; ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ก๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ
November 5, 2025
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and in collaboration with the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) of Ilocos Region, will lead the Fourth Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on November 6, 2025, at 9:00 A.M. The NSED's ceremonial pressing of the button and full-scale exercise will take place in Sta. Catalina, Ilocos Sur.
OCD Ilocos Region Director and RDRRMC Chair, Laurence Mina, is leading the regional preparations for the activity, with NDRRMC Executive Director and OCD Administrator, Undersecretary Harold Cabreros, overseeing its overall preparation and ex*****on.
The program for the ceremonial pressing will begin at 8:00 A.M. At exactly 9:00 A.M., the button will be activated, signaling participants to initiate the "duck, cover, and hold" protocol. A full-scale earthquake exercise will follow, based on a scenario involving an Intensity 8 earthquake originating from the Manila Trench, accompanied by a tsunami warning issued by PHIVOLCS. This simulation will test the readiness of responders and disaster managers in managing the impacts of the earthquake and the subsequent tsunami threat.
The full-scale exercise will be participated in by the Santa Catalina Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC), Ilocos Sur Provincial DRRMC, RDRRMC Ilocos Region, and OCD. The drill will test and demonstrate the following response components at strategic and tactical levels:
๐๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐/๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ
Command and Control
Emergency Telecommunications
Response Cluster Activation
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Activation and Coordination
๐๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ
Incident Management Team (IMT) Activation
Response Cluster Activation
Responders' Roles:
Collapsed Structure Search and Rescue
Mass Casualty Incident Management/Emergency Medical Response
Management of the Dead and Missing
Water Search and Rescue
Participating local government units include the provincial government of Ilocos Sur, Vigan City, and the municipalities of Caoayan, San Vicente, Bantay, and Santa Catalina.
Following the recent strong earthquakes that struck the country, the OCD stresses the vital need for sustained efforts to strengthen the nation's earthquake preparedness and resilience. The agency encourages all sectors and the general public to participate in the NSED as part of a collective effort to enhance the countryโs disaster preparedness and response capabilities.
