THE island-province of Camiguin hosted the fourth quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) this week, preparing over 800 participants for scenarios involving both seismic and volcanic threats.
The drill, held on November 13-14, simulated a magnitude 6.8 earthquake impacting Camiguin and neighboring provinces, as well as a potential phreatic eruption from the Hibok-Hibok volcano, which is currently at Alert Level 1. In this scenario, the eruption would generate a steam-driven plume reaching up to 1,000 meters.
“This is a significant event for us as Camiguin is hosting this national exercise for the first time,” said Recthie Paculba, information officer for the Philippine Information Agency in Camiguin.
Most participants represented municipal and provincial disaster response offices, working to strengthen local readiness for potential natural disasters.
Camiguin was chosen as the host location due to its geographical vulnerabilities, including active volcanoes and proximity to the ocean, which makes it susceptible to earthquakes, tsunamis, and flooding.
“This training aims to equip our community members with the knowledge of how to respond if such disasters strike,” Paculba added.
The Office of the Civil Defense led the event, stressing the importance of public involvement in preparedness drills as part of nationwide capacity-building efforts.
