The 2019 1st Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill will take place today in Iloilo City, beginning at 1:00 p.m.

The drill will open with Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III delivering opening remarks, who will then press a button and set off a siren indicating the start of the drill.

By 2:00 p.m., the estimated 8,000 participating in the event are expected to perform “duck, cover, and hold” while the siren sounds for one minute.

Afterwards, the simulation will showcase government capabilities with regard to disaster response.

It was previously reported, the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Office of the Civil Defense-Region VI identified five “impact areas” across the city. They include John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, SM City Iloilo, the Iloilo Business Park, Iloilo Mission Hospital, and City Hall.

Among those expected to participate in the drill include Deputy Office of Civil Defense administrator, Assistant Secretary Kristoffer James Purisima; Department of National Defense Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu; Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology officer-in-charge, Undersecretary Renato Solidum, Jr.; Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Bernardo Florece, Jr.; among others./WDJ