Metro Manila should be prepared for offshore earthquakes with magnitudes of over 7.1 which may trigger a tsunami, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Thursday as it held the Fourth Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Exercise Drill at its central office in Camp Aguinaldo.

Casiguran was chosen as the ceremonial pilot site of the drill to commemorate the 1968 Magnitude 7.3 quake, which also produced a tsunami.

The drill, which was held simultaneously 12 regions, started at 9 am where officials pressed a red button to begin the exercise.

Moving as if a very strong earthquake rattled their place, participants left their offices and went down the stairs in a quick and orderly way. The duck, cover and hold maneuvers were also executed. The drill lasted for 20 minutes.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., in a recorded message, urged people to take the drill seriously.

In an ambush interview, OCD spokesperson Edgar Posadas said they would be testing the disaster preparedness of Aurora, where a simulation of an earthquake and tsunami scenario is being conducted.

“We will test and assess what would happen if the earthquake that happened in 1968 would occur again. So we will test their response mechanism, equipment, response team, personnel, governance aspect, and leadership, plus the coordination with the community at large,” Posadas told reporters.

“The aim (of this drill) is to instill in our countrymen the importance of preparing for a disaster that we cannot yet predict with accuracy,” he said.

Posadas said he noticed a “significant improvement” in people’s awareness about preparing for earthquakes.

“I can see it in the awareness. Before, it used to be just the government initiating this. But through the years, the private sector, schools and local government units started participating. They are actively participating and we are very thankful that they are supporting the advocacy,” he said. Jaspearl Tan/DMS