Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University joined the National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on September 8, 2022. This is in line with the conduct of NSED in the 3rd Quarter of the year by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) at the Ayala Property Management Corp. headquarters in Makati City.

This is also the first time that DMMMSU is conducting a face-to-face earthquake drill with students since the onset of the pandemic.

Upon hearing the alarm at 9:00 a.m., DMMMSU employees and students did the “duck, cover, and hold” technique as one of the safety measures to protect themselves from falling objects or debris in case of an earthquake. They held this position for 30 seconds or until the siren stops before proceeding to the designated evacuation area as instructed by the DRRM/Safety Officers and documented the activity throughout the campus. The assigned focal persons conducted a head count and report the same to the Campus DRRMO. Minimum public health standards were strictly observed during the said earthquake drill as a preventive measure against COVID-19 prescribed by NDRRMC Memorandum No. 71, series of 2020, on the Interim Guidelines on the Conduct of the NSED during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The event was made possible through the collective effort of the administrators together with the DRRM Officers of the different operating units: Engr. Ericson Laquidan (NLUC), Mr. Christopher Pagulayan (MLUC), Mr. Jiyger Pre (SLUC), Dr Jouie Donato (OUS), Mr. Jarson Libunao (SRDI), MR. Rolly Tangalin (NARTDI), and with the University DRRM Coordinator, Mr. Randulph I. Navasca. (Michelle Arriane F. Fabro)