Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) conducted the metro-wide shake drill Thursday (July 30). Here is what happened in each of its identified quadrants.
When the big one strikes, more than 100,000 people are estimated to get hurt, mostly from collapsed structures.
Under the emergency response plan, those injured will be taken to the golf course of the 55-hectare Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City. The space will be converted into an evacuation area and a makeshift hospital. It will take in evacuees and casualties from Quezon City, Caloocan, Valenzuela, San Juan, and Mandaluyong.
During the earthquake drill, this response plan was simulated at the Northern Quadrant. The injured were evaluated and classified depending on their condition using a color-coding system.
After their vital signs were taken, the patients were tagged. Red is for the critically ill, yellow for those with minor injuries, while green and black are for the dying and the deceased.
Medical experts said that by sorting out the victims, authorities would be able to properly distribute limited medicines and manage equipment and transportation.
Officials said the shake drill was successfully carried out — but it did not go without glitches. Organizers said they had a tough time controlling the crowd.
“There are an excessive number of volunteers and participants, who played roles as evacuees so it’s overwhelming,” Elsie Encarnacion, commander of the Incident Command Post, said.
Organizers, however, said that there would be more earthquake exercises and promised to do better next time.
Look: PHOTOS | Metro Manila Shake Drill (Northern Quadrant)
A magnitude 7.2 quake shook the ground violently, as slabs of concrete fell on a vehicle on the Skyway, and trapping a family of four. Rescuers arrived within minutes and pulled out the family members to safety using hydraulic tools.
Rescuers and volunteers all took their jobs very seriously. A crew cleared debris from the roads to let emergency vehicles pass and allow motorists to flee to safety.
Responders moved quickly and precisely — at least, during this drill.
“This is just a small scenario. We have this drill, so that in case [an earthquake] happens, we are better prepared,” Atty. Rachel Ona, MMDA South Sector coordinator explains in Filipino.
The command center at the Villamor Air Base Golf Course took only 10 minutes to set up. Military choppers arrived just in time to airlift those with severe injuries. The needs of victims — both the injured and the homeless — were quickly assessed, while the police maintained order, secured relief goods, and arrested looters.
But still, some volunteers said it could have been done better. They said their tasks should have been assigned more clearly so they’ll know what to do to help.
Officials added that years of dealing with different disasters helped responders create effective strategies.
The scenario was just a very small part of what could be a massive disaster situation. The fear, chaos, and horror of what’s to come if a massive quake strikes is unimaginable. But even then, all we can do is prepare for the worst by doing our best in these drills.
Look: PHOTOS | Metro Manila Shake Drill (Southern Quadrant)
Marikina City had people trapped in their home, in a car, and under a bridge. These simulated earthquake scenarios gave local government officials an idea on how to manage their search and rescue operations.
One scenario showed a family trapped inside their collapsed home. K9 dogs sniffed through the rubble, and after half an hour, they were rescued but their baby did not make it.
Another scenario showed two elderly people stuck in a car hit by a street pole that fell. Members of the rescue team had to saw off the roof of the car to save them.
A third scenario portrayed a man pinned under a collapsed bridge. He was rescued by a rubber boat, while people at risk of drowning were brought to safety.
All were scripted and all were carefully executed.
The operations were all under 20 minutes, but officials say, in reality, the search and rescue might be delayed by up to 72 hours.
This is just one of many drills, and local government officials said they learned from the exercise, allowing them to better prepare when the big one strikes.
Look: PHOTOS | Metro Manila Shake Drill (Eastern Quadrant)
First an explosion, then a fire starts at the MMDA Workers’ Inn. It was just a drill, but responders treated it like the real thing, arriving in full gear in less than five minutes after the siren rang.
Rescuers rappelled people out of the fiery building and victims were quickly put on stretchers.
At the nearby triage area, first aid was given to victims.
During the drill, volunteers knew what they should do and emergency vehicles arrived really fast. But then, they just came from next door. Still, volunteers say they learned a lot from the drill.
Some bystanders took photos of the action and shared what they learned.
“First, if there’s an earthquake, you have no choice but to take cover under a table,” Rosalinda Marahay said.
The local government showed off its disaster response equipment, like their communications apparatus. There’s also a water purifier that turns salt water to drinking water, in case the water supply gets cut.
Still, the incident commander wasn’t happy with the results. She said the drill shows that her group still needs more training.
“We need to take [drills] seriously, we still have to train a lot from our group,” Maxima Quiambao, the quadrant’s incident commander, says.
