Guagua National Colleges conducted a joint Fire and Earthquake Orientation and Drill on July 23, 2026, bringing together students from Casa, Grade School Montessori, Junior High School, and Senior High School . Guided by experts from the Guagua Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Guagua, the activity reinforced the school's commitment to campus safety and emergency preparedness.
A Comprehensive Approach to School Safety
The drill, conducted as part of the school's disaster preparedness program, featured a combination of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on exercises led by the Guagua MDRRMO and BFP Guagua . Students learned the proper "Duck, Cover, and Hold" technique during the earthquake simulation, a protocol widely recognized as the most effective immediate response to seismic activity . Following the initial tremor simulation, participants practiced orderly evacuation along designated routes to open assembly areas, where class advisers conducted a headcount and SDRRM focal persons facilitated an evaluation and debriefing session.
Building a Culture of Preparedness
Schools regularly stage these comprehensive drills to build vital muscle memory for actual disasters . As the Department of the Interior and Local Government emphasizes, preparedness cannot begin when the ground starts shaking—it must be built long before disasters occur . The participation of the MDRRMO and BFP, agencies that work closely with the municipal government on disaster risk reduction and emergency response, underscores the importance of multi-agency collaboration in keeping communities safe .
