The simultaneous “Metro Manila Shake Drill” will be conducted 10:30 a.m. Thursday for an hour in 16 cities and one municipality of the National Capital Region (NCR), in preparation for the “Big One,” or the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that is expected to shake the metropolis and other neighboring provinces.
The sounds of an emergency situation, which will also be aired over the radio, will be the start of the earthquake drill conducted by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in cooperation with other government agencies. The quake drill is “scientifically-based” on the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS), a study conducted by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and Japan International Cooperation where an estimated 33,500 people will die if a 7.2 magnitude earthquake – the expected magnitude of the West Valley and East Valley Faults -hits the metropolis. The cities of Manila and Quezon City will have the most casualties.
Everyone is encouraged to participate wherever one is – in the office, home, or traveling on the road, and do the “Drop, Cover and Hold” for 45 seconds, as part of the drill to teach people what to do when the big earthquake strikes.
