[23 October 2018] Five years since the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol,
the events during that day are still fresh in the minds of the students who
went through the ordeal.
“I was shaking because my grandmother was crying, and my cousin was
shouting, ‘earthquake! earthquake!’” said 19-year-old medical technology
student Geena Mae Hopida, recalling their family in panic.
The quake, whose epicenter was in Bohol, struck on Oct. 15, 2013,
and jolted most of the Visayas and parts of Mindanao and Luzon. It was one of
the strongest earthquakes to hit the Philippines in recent years, causing
injuries and loss of lives, and massive damage to property and infrastructure.
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| Louie Domingo (left) of Emergency Management Center |
Grade 12 student Adrian Bucoy could hardly find words to describe
the terror of feeling the ground trembling. “The rumbling from under the ground
became louder and louder. My mother was calling me from the kitchen, but we
couldn’t hear each other,” said Bucoy, now 18 years old.
A few weeks later, the province was hit by Supertyphoon “Yolanda”
(Haiyan), one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record.
Hopida and Abucoy, who both study at Holy Name University in
Tagbilaran City, were some of the participants of the TNT Tropang Ready
disaster preparedness caravan organized at their campus by PLDT wireless unit
Smart Communications.
Smart’s TNT Tropang Ready aims to train youths in disaster
preparedness skills so that they can help their communities in times of
calamities. Smart recently brought the caravan to HNU as part of the company’s
nationwide learning series on disaster preparedness geared toward the youth.
“At Smart, we work hand in hand with our partners to promote the
culture of preparedness within communities. We are tapping the youth for this
program—Bohol students, specifically—because of their skills, their tech savvy
and their first-hand experience of surviving a calamity,” said Ramon R.
Isberto, PLDT and Smart public affairs head.
More than 1,000 students and school personnel were taught emergency
preparedness lessons by representatives of the Philippine Institute of
Volcanology and Seismology, the provincial disaster risk reduction and
management office, and resource persons from Emergency Management Center.
The speakers discussed emergency risks and hazards and demonstrated
the proper way to do the duck-cover-hold protection technique during
earthquakes: duck, or drop to the floor; take cover under a sturdy piece of
furniture (or against a wall); and hold on to the piece of furniture.
The speakers also shared the contents of a “Go Bag,” a survival kit
containing a flashlight, bottle of water, mobile phone, garbage bag, T-shirt,
flashlight battery, and other essentials that could last up to 72 hours.
Interactive booths, games, and other activities further illustrated
preparedness, such as making a paracord bracelet, which doubles as an emergency
rope and contains a whistle that can come in handy during emergencies.
“After this session with TNT Tropang Ready, we want our students to
bring their learnings at home,” said Anne Mariquit Opus, HNU health and safety
officer, adding that “Bohol is quite vulnerable.”
The provincial disaster risk reduction and management office cannot
do everything, conceded its chief, Anthony Damalerio, as he underscored the
importance of partnerships. “We’re happy that Smart is doing its part in
helping disseminate information regarding disaster management here in Bohol,”
he said.
Smart has been working with different schools nationwide to help
families and individuals in high-risk areas prepare for emergencies and
disasters. The TNT Tropang Ready program is the latest enhancement of Smart’s
disaster preparedness initiative for communities launched in 2013.
The TNT Tropang Ready caravan is part of Smart’s #SafePH advocacy,
which promotes preparedness through mobile solutions and on-ground activities
to help communities mitigate disaster risks.
The program won in the Community Engagement category at the
prestigious Golden World Awards this year. The GWA recognizes PR practices that
meet international standards of excellence and is organized annually by the
International Public Relations Association.
