“Ang Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) po ay handang-handa. Kami po ay nakalaang tumulong at rumesponde sa oras na sinasabing mangyari ang the ‘Big One’ (The DSWD is ready to provide assistance and respond when the ‘Big One’ comes).”

This was the assurance of DSWD Secretary Virginia N. Orogo at yesterday’s ceremonial activity of the 2nd Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake (NSED) Drill in Brgy. Sta. Ana, San Mateo Rizal.

Led by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the NSED is held quarterly to educate and inform the public on earthquake preparedness and to promote inter-agency cooperation and unity for disaster preparedness.

Other officials who attended the earthquake drill were: DSWD Undersecretary for Disaster Response Management Group Hope V. Hervilla, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año, OCD Administrator and NDRRMC Executive Director Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Jose Miguel De La Rosa, Department of Health (DOH) Director Gloria Balboa, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Deputy Director Bartolome Bautista, Rizal Provincial Governor Rebecca Ynarez, and San Mateo Municipal Mayor Cristina Diaz.

As the vice-chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council,  Sec. Orogo also encouraged the public to cooperate with the government and prepare for any disaster situation.

“Yung pagiging handa, pagtutulungan, at pagkakaisa ay napaka-importante po sa oras ng kagipitan at sa oras ng mga sakuna (Preparedness, cooperation, and unity is very important in times of disasters),” she said.

“Kasama ng dalangin, tayo po ay maging handa. Sa oras ng sakuna, wala pong mayaman, walang mahirap, tayo pong lahat ay kailangang magtulungan (With our prayers, let us be prepared because there are no wealthy or poor people during disasters. We need to help each other),” she reminded. ###