Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — At exactly 10:30 a.m. on July 30, sirens will blare, church bells will ring, and fire alarms will go off — signaling the start of the first metrowide earthquake drill.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum will announce on radio and television stations that a magnitude 7.2 earthquake has struck along the West Valley Fault.
The drill will cover 16 cities and one town in Metro Manila, involving 12 million people. At least 5 million people in the metro are highly vulnerable to earthquakes.
Metro Manila mayors and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) met on Tuesday (July 7) to finalize details.
The mayors, who helped plan the drill, were tasked to encourage everyone to participate.
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will send a text blast to residents to announce the drill.
Once the drill starts, everyone is expected to participate. The drill will last for a full hour, until 11:30 a.m.
Metro Manila will be divided into four evacuation areas: Intramuros golf course in the west, Veterans Memorial Medical Center golf course in the north, LRT2 depot in the east, and Villamor Airbase golf course in the south.
The MMDA clarified that power and communication lines will not be interrupted during the drill. But lights will be turned off for the night time drill in Pasig City, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
A roll call before and after the drill in each barangay is being suggested so that all participants will be accounted for.
Aside from city halls, schools, and churches, business establishments like malls and call centers will be asked to participate as well.
After the metrowide drill, the MMDA will have a post-drill evaluation to identify how disaster preparedness could be improved to prepare Metro Manila residents once the big one strikes.
Related: Bracing for the big one: Is Metro Manila quake-ready?
