By Leilanie Adriano
LAOAG CITY—Local government
units in Ilocos Norte, together with partner agencies including schools and
private establishments, conducted simultaneous earthquake drills to boost
readiness and proper response and emergency protocols on October 17, 2025.
The drills were in line with
the directive of Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos to strengthen
disaster preparedness and ensure public safety.
"Preparation is the key
to any disaster and we must all be ready to respond effectively," Marcel
Tabije of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
(PDRRMC) said in an interview.
At the Provincial Capitol,
three simulation exercises were held. In one, government personnel and
emergency responders used a boom truck to rescue a "victim" trapped
inside a burning building.
Another drill featured
members of search and rescue teams attending to a "victim" of a
vehicular accident, while another showed the evacuation of employees from
inside a building during a strong earthquake.
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Through such drills, Tabije
said challenges are identified, enabling them to better manage disaster
situations together with their partner agencies.
Marcos, who participated and
witnessed the drills, lauded all participants for their cooperation.
Both the city governments of
Laoag and Batac also joined the simultaneous drills, with emphasis on the
practice of the "duck, cover and hold" method during an earthquake.
Marcos encouraged every
household in the province to have a "go bag" ready so that they will
still have provisions in case of massive destruction and essential services are
disrupted.
A " go bag" should
contain basic survival kits like food and water, medicines, clothing,
documents, a radio monitor, a flashlight and a whistle, among others, she said.
The provincial government
earlier this week distributed " go bag s" and life vests to families
living in high-risk areas.
Magnitude 5.2 quake jolts IN
The earthquake drill was followed by a
magnitude 5.2 earthquake which jolted parts of Northern Luzon on the afternoon
of October 17, 2025.
The Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said it traced the earthquake’s epicenter
at 11 km. northwest of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.
The quake, which occurred at
4:14 p.m., was of tectonic origin and was 10 km. deep, it said. It was followed
by a magnitude 5.0 tremor at 4:31 p.m.
While expecting no damage,
Phivolcs advised the public to take extra precaution as aftershocks are
expected.
Nearby towns of Bacarra in
Ilocos Norte felt the tremor at Intensity III, Claveria, Cagayan and San
Nicolas, Ilocos Norte at Intensity II; and Vigan City in Ilocos Sur at
Intensity I.
Phivolcs Director Teresito
Bacolcol earlier said earthquakes are a normal occurrence in the Philippines
because the country has 180 active faults and six active trenches.
The afternoon earthquake
happened hours after Ilocos Norte held a province-wide earthquake drill.
Employees of the Provincial
Capitol, meanwhile, were ordered to go home early following the tremor.
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