By Azer N. Parrocha
MANILA, July 13 (PNA) — In preparation for potential earthquakes, airport personnel will be joining the metro-wide quake drill this month after being urged by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Participants in these exercises will include the airport’s Emergency Response Teams and other safety officers from the airlines, concessionaires, and government agencies operating at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said that it will be conducting tabletop exercises at the terminals starting this week.
It will also be joining MMDA’s actual metro-wide drill, which will be implemented at the MIAA Administration Building on July 30.
Aside from the drill, a public information campaign at the terminals will also be conducted on July 30 through the distribution of informational materials to passengers.
The drill and campaign will ensue for one hour starting at 10:30am. Normal operations at the terminals will continue as the campaign takes place.
According to the MIAA, the exercises will include briefings regarding the airport’s earthquake emergency plan. The plan covers evacuation procedures and assembly areas per terminal.
MIAA has also been advised by the MMDA to assess its existing emergency plan and disseminate this to its employees as part of its preparations.
Both agencies have been in close coordination since last month to ready the NAIA for the metro-wide earthquake drill.
MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado in a statement said that airport personnel are always ready to respond to emergencies ranging from aircraft and terminal concerns to natural calamities.
“Preparing for the ‘big one’ entails not only looking at the possible consequences of an earthquake but also the extent of human intervention that can be done to minimize risks,” Honrado said.
He added that if and when an earthquake occurs, emergency teams per terminal will be deployed to respond to the needs of passengers and assess incurred damage. (PNA)