Thousands duck, cover, hold in Davao City Shake Out Drill

Thousands of Dabawenyos did the duck, cover, and hold as Davao City conducted the city-wide drill on Friday to kick off the National Disaster Resilience Month.

Students, teachers, and employees of both private and government agencies, and even those in public places and malls took the three important steps – Duck, Cover, Hold – when the Davao City Risk Reduction and Management Office (DCRRMO) released the warning siren at about 9 a.m.

The siren reverberated in the areas of R. Castillo Agdao, City Hall Annex, Matina Aplaya, Toril Fish Port, establishments and the barangays signaling an earthquake.

“More than the observance of the Disaster Resilience Month, we should also consider doing this regularly to prepare for any eventuality,” DCRRMO administrative officer Lyndon Ancajas said.

Ancajas said the regular conduct of the emergency drills especially the duck, cover and hold technique will train people and prepare them in cases of emergency.

He said preparation and resiliency are important factors for survival when natural disasters like earthquake and tsunami hit an area.

Last year’s citywide Shake Out Drill was also successful with the participation of around half a million Dabawenyos.

What makes this year’s earthquake and tsunami drill different, Ancajas said, is the inclusion of the “field hospital” set-up.

He said it is important to focus on hospitals because it is a key institution in cases of disasters. Hospitals also cater to people who sustain injuries during a disaster. CIO