PANABO CITY — Davao del Norte State College activated its emergency response teams and carried out key disaster response protocols as it participated in the 3rd Quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) 2026 on September 10.
Held at 2:00 p.m., the drill mobilized the College’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), Incident Management Team (IMT), and Student Emergency Response Team (SERT) to simulate the institution’s response to a major earthquake.
During the exercise, participants, which involved everyone inside the campus premises, executed established emergency protocols, including the duck-cover-hold immediate response, alarm and evacuation, Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA), search and rescue operations, and psychological assistance for affected individuals.
The activation of the EOC, IMT, and SERT allowed the College to test its emergency coordination and response mechanisms, including the flow of information, assessment of simulated damage and needs, and deployment of response personnel.
The exercise forms part of the nationwide earthquake preparedness effort led by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), which emphasizes the importance of regular drills in strengthening disaster readiness and ensuring that individuals and institutions know what to do before, during, and immediately after an earthquake.
