KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato – Pursuant to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Memorandum No. 013, series of 2021, NEDA 12, along with the various Regional Line Agencies (RLAs) in SOCCSKSARGEN Region, participated in the CY 2021 First Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on March 11, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. while observing strict compliance with public health protocols.

These public health precautionary measures are further expressed in NDRRMC Memorandum No. 71, series of 2020, that provides Interim Guidelines on the Conduct of the NSED during the Covid-19 Pandemic, page 7, item 9.2.2 which states that “In compliance with the minimum public health standards, traditional forms of exercises requiring physical interaction and leading to mass gathering, particularly evacuation drill, shall no longer be conducted as part of the NSED.” This quarterly activity seeks to promote the preparedness and awareness of all Filipino citizens towards community resilience. It likewise seeks to strengthen mechanisms on national and regional coordination, as well as the interoperability of all sectors of society. It also aims to intensify the earthquake preparedness of local communities and increase the commitment of local government units in building safe communities, consistent with Chapter 12 of the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017- 2022 on building safe and secure communities. (Joseph Didius L. Clave, NEDA XII-DRD)