At least 40 members of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) are undergoing a five-day workshop on Exercise Design Course (EDC) from April 21-25, 2025 to further improve the city government’s earthquake response protocol.
The training aims to prepare the CDRRMC members on earthquake response based on a worst-case scenario to ensure that the city’s Earthquake Contingency Plan is doable, according to Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer IV Engr. Charles Bryan Carame.
He said Baguio City will be observed on its earthquake response capacity next year by national agencies led by the Office of Civil Defense thus the need to prepare and exercise.
The city government’s Earthquake Contingency Plan was approved in 2022 inclusive of protocols in the conduct of rapid damage assessment and needs analysis (RDANA) in the affected areas; conduct immediate evacuation operations to preserve lives in all affected areas; ensure proper camp coordination and camp management and provision of food and non-food items; conduct immediate search and rescue in all areas with suspected trapped individuals; provide medical intervention to all injured; ensure law and order in all affected areas; activation of the Emergency Operations Center, Incident Management Team, response clusters and ensuring coordination and interoperability. It also includes the procedures on activation, deactivation and inactivation protocols.
“We cannot be caught off-guard when the big one hits,” Carame emphasized.
The Summer Capital was one of the worst hit areas during the July 16, 1990 killer earthquake that caused the loss of hundreds of lives and considerable damage to properties.
He cited the Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) showing the seismicity of the Philippines wherein 20 earthquakes are being recorded daily.
About 100 to 150 tremors are felt in the country in a year.
Based on the DOST-REDAS, major active faults across the Cordillera Administrative Region are the Bangui Fault, Abra River Fault, West Ilocos Fault System, Chico Fault in Kalinga, Hapap Fault and Tubao Fault.
With this data, Carame said the CDRRMC needs to continuously improve its preparation for an effective, efficient and immediate response mechanism in case of a massive earthquake magnitude.
The training is funded by the CDRRMO in partnership with the Office of Civil Defense Cordillera for the trainers and speakers. Baguio City Public Information Office
