At exactly 9:00 a.m., TPES pupils, teachers, and school staff executed the “Duck, Cover, and Hold” and evacuated their respective buildings when the loud siren sounded – signaling the Second Quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) last June 20.
Mrs. Glenda D. Tabaquirao – TPES School Head and School Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (SDRRMC) Incident Commander, was the first to mention her observation and reiterated the importance of First Aid Kits and Go Bags in emergencies, especially when catastrophes like earthquakes or flash floods arise. Mrs. Tabaquirao also mentioned that hard hats should be utillized by pupils and teachers alike and not just be a part of classroom displays.
The Grade Leaders of Kinder, Grades One, Three, and Six reported zero casualties as Batang Emergency Response Team (BERT) Coordinator Mr. Rowel S. Borja listed all the survivors of the earthquake simulation totaling into 2,012 – all pupils, teachers, and school staff combined.
Mr. Elijio A. Banog – SDRRMC Coordinator, recorded the time of the final evacuation at 9:07 AM – a much slower period compared to the first NSED done last school year. When asked what could be done better next quarter, Mr. Banog said that everyone should be faster in responding to the siren and by evacuating immediately as possible, especially given the TPES high-rise buildings.
The same Disaster Preparedness Drill was also conducted in the afternoon at 2:00 p.m., which was participated by pupils and teachers from Kinder, Grades Two, Four, and Five.
Participants in the NSED are as follows:
AM PARTICIPANTS: PM PARTICIPANTS
PUPILS- 1878 1891
TEACHERS– 79 90
STAFF 27 27
VISITORS 5 5
PARENTS 4 12
CONSTRUCTION 19 19
WORKERS ——— ——–
TOTAL 2012 + 2044 = 4056
