In the continuing promotion of disaster awareness and preparedness among employees and other port stakeholders, the Port Management Office of Misamis Oriental/Cagayan de Oro participated in the first Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill for 2021.
Around 230 participants joined the earthquake drill last 11 March 2021 including personnel of Oroport Cargohandling Services Inc., the cargo handling operator in the Port of Cagayan de Oro, the neighboring Shell Northern Mindanao Import Facility, and those from the Port of Balingoan, Benoni and Opol. The participants executed the “Duck, Cover, and Hold” while the simulated earthquake was ongoing, indicated by the siren of the fire alarm system that ran for a minute.
Since mass gathering is discouraged as part of the minimum public health protocols building, evacuation was excluded in this drill per NDRRMC Memorandum No. 71, s. 2020. The participants were informed to stay in their respective workstations after the simulated earthquake.
The Command Center (COMCen), the central communication hub of the Port of Cagayan de Oro, managed by the Port Police Division, conducted a net call to all stations for emergency reporting and other security protocols as part of the communications drill during emergencies.
A simulated report of an injury at Oroport Admin Building was included in the drill. Port Police Division personnel went to the scene to gather information and transmit the same to COMCen. The latter then prepared and transmit through email the reported injury after the drill was terminated by the Port’s Station Commander.
The PMO’s participation to the drill serves as a venue to revisit the earthquake response/action plans of the PMO, improve the weak points, and retain and continue the good practices.