By Helen Castaño | 09:07 PM September 11, 2025
TAGBILARAN CITY – The Bohol Provincial Capitol became the focal point of Region 7’s 3rd Quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on Thursday, September 11, 2025, as provincial employees and responders staged a full-scale simulation of a strong tremor.
At exactly 4 p.m., the Capitol bell signaled the start of the exercise. Workers immediately executed the “duck, cover, and hold” maneuver before moving in an orderly manner to designated evacuation areas. Emergency teams followed with rescue operations, carrying out evacuation of mock victims and setting up first-aid stations.
Bohol was chosen as the pilot area for this quarter’s NSED in Central Visayas—an acknowledgment of the province’s hard-earned lessons from the catastrophic 7.2-magnitude earthquake on October 15, 2013.
Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado stressed that the drill was not just a compliance measure but a lifeline for a province that knows the cost of unpreparedness.
“We can never predict the next earthquake, but we can prepare for it. And preparedness saves lives,” Aumentado said.
Officials noted that the drill tested coordination between government offices and emergency responders, ensuring readiness in case a real disaster strikes.
The NSED is conducted quarterly across the country to build a culture of safety and resilience by encouraging families, schools, communities, and institutions to regularly rehearse earthquake response measures.
