Earthquake Drills: Teaching School Children to Be Safe During an Emergency

Our country, the Philippines, is always visited by an earthquake. The national government wants to train everyone how to respond quickly when this natural calamity strikes. Therefore, an earthquake drill is conducted and is participated in by government employees, teachers, and school students.

At the school level, the teachers are grouped or organized into a separate disaster reduction risk management (DRRM), to be on alert when any calamities may occur. This is how preparation for an earthquake strike is conducted. In so doing, the school children are ready and quick to respond to this natural disaster. They’ve been already trained what to do in case an earthquake may occur regardless of the time of day.

Tips for Locating a Reputable Insurance Company

Insurance is something that you hope you will never need to use. However, it is essential to have good coverage because you can never be too sure when you will have a disaster in your life. For example, you might have a fire that destroys a large portion of your house. Your homeowner's policy will give you the money you need to rebuild your current house or buy a new one. Car insurance will pay for repairs to your car if you get into an accident. There are many different insurance companies. However, they are very different when it comes to the policies they have available and the prices they charge for them. Here are a few key things to help you select one that is reputable.

1. Is filing a claim with the company simple?

Ideally, you want the process of filing a claim with your provider to be as simple as possible. You should only do business with a company that is able to be reached at any time of the day or night. Obviously, disasters do not only happen during regular business hours. Filing your claim should be fast and easy. Your insurance provider should not force you to do a lot of unnecessary work to file a claim during a difficult time in your life.

Beyond Ourselves (Day 7)

Beyond Ourselves (Day 7)

by Rey Laguda

(This is the DepEd USec Rey Laguda's Day 7 of 50-day journey being serialized here with his permission, culled from his Facebook account. - Blogger/owner)

Since 2010, there was no respite from disasters that hit our country. In 2010, Typhoon Juan hit Region 2. In 2011, Typhoon Sendong hit parts of Visayas and Northern Mindanao especially Cagayan de Oro and Iligan cities. In 2012, we saw Typhoon Pablo ravage Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley followed by an earthquake in Negros Oriental. In 2013, it was Bohol and Central Visayas' turn to have a major earthquake. As if it weren't enough, Typhoon Yolanda broke records affecting six regions. There were relatively small but damaging typhoons that followed in the ensuing years - Glenda, Ruby and Nona, to name a few. Indeed, we are in the ring of fire and in the typhoon belt. Aside from these natural disasters, we have seen the sad effects of human induced disasters like fire, violence, and conflict.

I had just come from a psychosocial debriefing session in Angono, Rizal for teachers who were involved in a recent bus accident. Br Armin asked me to say something and I couldn't help but remember heroic acts in times of adversity. I spoke about how my experience in DepEd over the last six years was characterized by attending to one calamity after another. And yet, more than the damage and destruction, what struck me were the human acts of resilience, survival, kindness, generosity, and love our people have shown throughout.

Safe Schools (Day 6)

Safe Schools (Day 6)

by Rey Laguda

(This is the DepEd USec Rey Laguda's Day 6 of 50-day journey being serialized here with his permission, culled from his Facebook account. - Blogger/owner)

Schools are at the heart of our communities, therefore we want to keep our schools safe from threats, be they human-induced or natural. It is our mandate to provide conditions where “students learn in a child-friendly, gender-sensitive, safe and motivating environment.”

The role of the Department of Education in disaster risk reduction has expanded in the last several years consistent with the evolution of the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) sector after the passage of RA 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

How Typhoon Affected My Life

I couldn't help myself from remembering those typhoons that had affected my life. This is my latest reaction when our schools division superintendent called up an emergency meeting of all school principals in the division of La Carlota City.

While SDS Portia M. Mallorca was reviewing the preparation of the school's disaster risk reduction management council (DRRMC) in connection with the official declaration of Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo G. Marañon, Jr. that no classes in all levels in the province for the expected landfall of the super typhoon "Yolanda",  I was recollecting several typhoons that had passed the vicinity of the country PH, particularly in our hometown and wrought great havoc to properties and claimed lives of people.

I relay our meeting to my teachers who are in stand by in our school. I remind them that our school will be ready anytime for evacuation center of those who are affected by the typhoon. Communication should be 24-hour available especially their respective cell phones. I also alert those members of the school DRRMC to be on the alert to function when needed.

Are Pupils Ready When Disaster Happens?

Most of the teachers and even the school heads had missed to observe the month of July as the National Disaster Month by virtue of Executive Order of 1999.They are used to celebrate the month of July as the Nutrition Month.

This morning in our flag ceremony of our school, Cubay Elementary School, I apprised our pupils the importance of disaster preparedness and checked themselves on how ready and prepared they are when natural calamities or disasters may occur anytime, especially when they least expect them. I reminded them how terrible it was before when they personally experienced the earthquake last year that shook the school for more than 8 minutes.

I remember that every one got panicked, cried and even trembled for fear that their lives are endangered. I was even affected too for it was the first time that I felt that tremor which moved the sala set which I was sitting when that quake struck. I got out from my office feeling dizzy, walking groggy.

School Earthquake Drill Is a Must

The pupils of Cubay Elementary School in the Division of La Carlota City had proven themselves how they were ever ready when a natural disaster will come anytime like the earthquake.

"Duck, Cover and Hold"

Their alertness and readiness were tested recently when an earthquake drill was conducted in by the school principal, this blogger.

It was 10:15 in the morning when the grade four class of Mrs. Melanie Reyes was first evaluated. Since this was the class that was going to check on how prepared are they, I never used the bell to signal the occurrence of the earthquake. Instead I tapped the table for a minute, meaning there's an earthquake and the building is shaking.

Worst Fire Hits Iloilo City While in Dinagyang Revelry

While the city of Iloilo was celebrating its annual Dinagyang Festival, Sunday, January 22, the fire which came from unattended flat iron in Renato Rosales' house at Zone s, Brgy. Tanza-Timawa gutted the 565 houses, the local news said.

As per the initial investigation report of the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP), the fire which started past 5 in the afternoon. razed most of the houses in the nearby villages of Tanza-Esperanza and Malipayon. Firefighting lasted  for six hours.

President Benigno Aquino III and sister Maria Elena “Ballsy” Aquino-Cruz expressed their sympathy to the city government and the fire victims. They phoned Iloilo City Mayor Jade Patrick Mabilog Monday and pledged financial assistance to the victims.