ANATIONWIDE simultaneous earthquake drill set on November 5 will test the preparedness of various stakeholders, including government agencies, local governments (LGU), emergency responders, and communities for major earthquakes and tsunamis through a simulated disaster scenario in Santa Ana, Cagayan, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.
The earthquake and tsunami scenario will highlight the Fourth Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (Nsed) led by the OCD in coordination with member agencies of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and local governments.
The Nsed program will begin at 8:00 a.m., followed by the ceremonial pressing of the button at 9:00 a.m. to signal the start of the ‘Duck, Cover, and Hold’ procedure and evacuation drill.
A full-scale exercise based on the earthquake-tsunami scenario of a magnitude 8.5 earthquake with an epicenter located 180 kilometers southeast of Santa Ana, Cagayan, triggered by movement along the East Luzon Trough will follow to assess and strengthen Santa Ana, Cagayan’s disaster preparedness and response mechanisms, particularly its Contingency Plan for Earthquake and Tsunami and the implementation of the Regional Disaster Response Plan (RDRP) of the Cagayan Valley Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC).
The simulation will test the capabilities of participating government agencies, emergency responders, and local government s in carrying out and coordinating the following emergency response operations:
Early Warning System (EWS) Activation
Community Evacuation
Emergency Telecommunications
Incident Management Teams (IMTs) Activation
Alternate Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) Activation
Logistics Coordination and Management
Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) Management
Search, Rescue, and Retrieval (SRR)
Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) and Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Protection
Water Search and Rescue (WaSAR)
Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM)
Law and Order
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Hazards and Oil Spill Response
In addition to the main exercise in Santa Ana, Cagayan, earthquake drills and related exercises will also be conducted in various parts of the country, led by the OCD Regional Offices.
The Fourth Quarter Nsed will also coincide with the observance of World Tsunami Awareness Day (Wtad) 2026, which carries the theme ‘Resilience Starts with You.’ The observance underscores the importance of public awareness and individual preparedness in reducing tsunami risks and mitigating their potential impacts.
As part of the Nsed and Wtad observance, the OCD will also hold the ‘Over Coffee Dialogues: Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness.’ The forum will bring together government experts and international disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) practitioners.