Disaster Drills Helped Prevent More Deaths in Philippines Quake

Years of disaster preparedness drills in the Philippines played a crucial role in preventing a higher death toll when a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the southern part of the country. The offshore quake, which hit Monday off Sarangani province, resulted in 55 fatalities and left 31 people missing.

“

This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of earthquake preparedness and the value of regular disaster response drills.

About 1,120 individuals were injured, and more than 45,000 people were displaced, with roughly half still residing in emergency shelters. The earthquake damaged over 12,600 houses across various towns and cities. Many residents remained traumatized and hesitant to return home due to strong aftershocks.

Social media has been flooded with videos capturing the chaotic moments of the earthquake, showing buildings collapsing and ceremonies disrupted. Videos depicted students reacting with panic but following instructions to stay seated or cover their heads as teachers urged calm. One widely shared video showed grade-schoolers screaming and crying on a school ground that visibly swayed, with a nearby shed collapsing, prompting some to flee but then return to their seats as instructed.

“

It’s good that our efforts to educate people on what to do when earthquakes hit somehow paid off.

Despite the destruction, schools like Mahayahay elementary school in Malita, Davao Occidental province, reported no injuries, attributing this to preparedness. Teresito Bacolcol, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, stated that the drills helped people anticipate and brace for the event. He also noted the fortunate timing of the quake, occurring at 7:37 a.m., just before work and classes were scheduled to commence indoors. Ednar Dayanghirang, director of the Office of Civil Defense, added that the drills helped prevent deadly stampedes and generally reduced casualties.

“

We required all school principals to take one-day courses on incident management, then they appointed disaster-response teams among teachers to deal with earthquakes, tsunamis.