CAGAYAN de Oro City - Mall workers, tenants and emergency teams at two SM malls in Cagayan de Oro practiced how to respond to an earthquake during a safety drill on November 5.
Participants at SM CDO Downtown and SM City CDO Uptown performed the “Duck, Cover, and Hold” procedure before proceeding to designated evacuation and assembly areas.
The 9 a.m. exercise was part of the third-quarter 2026 Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill, conducted in different parts of the country, according to Carlston Barcenilla Maglangit, public relations manager of the malls.
Security personnel, emergency response teams and medical staff were placed on standby to assist participants and help manage the evacuation.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Office of Civil Defense coordinated the activity with the malls, with the Bureau of Fire Protection also involved in the preparedness exercise.
The drill aimed to familiarize mall workers and tenants with basic protective actions and evacuation procedures in case an earthquake strikes while the malls are operating.
