To ensure the conduct a comprehensive earthquake drill that allows personnel to employ the knowledge and skills they acquired from their recent Basic Incident Command System Training, the Bontoc campus simulated 4 various scenarios within a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. The disaster theoretically caused a heavy damages to the Higher Education and the Administration Building with some structural portions collapsed. The disaster also reported 2 injured personnel from the Admin Building and two from the Academic Building (1 heavily injured and 1 mentally challenged). As expected, all College personnel evacuated to the assigned Evacuation Area at the Eyeb grounds.
The drill was highlighted by the activation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) with Mr. Reynaldo P. Gayo, VPAF, as the Emergency Operations Center Manager. Meanwhile, the Incident Management Team was composed of the following: Campus Director Dr. Arel B. Sia-ed as the Incident Commander, Dr. Edgar Mapangdol as the Operations Section Chief, Ms. Jennifer Damayan as the Planning Section Chief, Mr. Jayson A. Omaweng as the Logistics Section Chief and Mr. Alexander Donato as the Finance/ Admin Section Chief. They were responsible for the coordination of actions and movements of the different groups associated with the drill.
During the drill, evaluators from the PDRRMO, the Bontoc General Hospital and the Provincial Health Office, the Bontoc LGU, and the 54 IB Philippine Army were designated to various posts within the vicinity which was cordoned by the Security Team. Overall, the drill was consummated at around 9:50 a.m.
During the post-evaluation, the evaluators commended the drillโs success with evident improvement from its last endeavor. Despite its being the first time to be conducted with the basic principles of an incident management system, the College evidently complied with the requirements for a successful drill. More importantly, the team provided recommendations for improvement which include the following: 1) the personnel should endeavor to find hard or malleable objects to protect their head during evacuation; 2) the provision of emergency first-aid kits in all levels of the admin building, 3) the use of reflectorized signages for exit and others and visible emergency plans printed in wider dimensions, 4) the visibility of Safety Officers in all areas, and 5) review of the roles and responsibilities of the EOC and Incident Management Team.
During the post-evaluation, VPAD Gayo assured the evaluators that the management will integrate the recommendations for the enhancement of the drill while College President Edgar G. Cue recognized the activityโs value as part of the institutionโs continuing commitment to learning as part of the quality assurance process that the College seeks to sustain.
