Employees in government offices and businesses and students in schools in Valenzuela City ducked, took cover and held as they joined the 2^nd Metro Manila Shake Drill on Wednesday, June 22, 2016.

The city government carried out the drill exercises in at least three facilities: the Dalandandan 3S Center, and Punturin 3S Center, and the ALERT Center where the incident command post was erected. The drill begun at 9 am and lasted thirty minutes.

Spearheaded by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and the Metro Manila Development Authority, the drill was meant to prepare the public for the “Big One,” a 7.2 magnitude earthquake expected to originate along the West Valley Fault, 100-kilometer fault line running from the Sierre Madre mountain range in the North through the province of Batangas in the south.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology estimates the hypothetical earthquake could leave 34,000 people dead. Though experts cannot pinpoint when would this happen, they say the fault line moves every 400 to 600 years. The last time it moved was in 1658, so it would very likely move during our lifetime.

The Valenzuela City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reports 2,000 city government employees joined the drill that begun at 9 a.m. PHOTO BY KING AL MENDOZA

Clients at the Public Employment Service Office use their bags and resume-holding folders as protective accessories. PHOTO BY KING AL MENDOZA

Students of the public Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela flee to the campus’ parking space. PHOTO BY RODRIGO DE GUZMAN

Cars and students share space. PHOTO BY RODRIGO DE GUZMAN

Nurses of the City Health Office and volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross attend to an actor posing as a victim. PHOTO BY RODRIGO DE GUZMAN

An ambulance is waiting at the ALERT Centers grounds to bring the victims to the hospital. PHOTO BY RODRIGO DE GUZMAN

Personnel of the Command and Coordinating Center set up communication with the city’s seven disaster response clusters. PHOTO BY RODRIGO DE GUZMAN

Personnel of the VCDRRMO carry a whiteboard to the incident command post. PHOTO BY RODRIGO DE GUZMAN

Dr. Arnaldo Antonio, Valenzuela City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Office chief, briefs city officials on the situation at the incident command post. PHOTO BY RODRIGO DE GUZMAN