Antique: Local government units (LGUs) in Antique were ordered to review their contingency plans on earthquakes. Antique Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer III Michael Tolentino said in an interview on Friday that LGUs need to review them to know the measures they need to include.

According to Philippines News Agency, the review of the contingency plan is important so that the LGU can prepare to the highest level in case there is a scenario, such as an earthquake. Tolentino stated that the contingency plan stipulates the standard operating procedure for every cluster, such as health, search and rescue, and camp management.

He said that the review of the contingency plan is in compliance with Memorandum Order No. 73 of the Western Visayas Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC), following the recent occurrence of several earthquakes in different parts of the country. In the same memorandum, LGUs are instructed to conduct wide-scale earthquake drills, including a scenario of tsunami.

Meanwhile, Tolentino said the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), during its emergency meeting on Thursday, passed a resolution recommending to Governor Paolo Everardo Javier the creation of a Provincial Task Force for Structural Integrity Assessment. The task force will be led by the Antique Provincial Engineering Office with members from the different provincial and national government agencies that have offices in the province.

Among the task force members are the Department of Public Works and Highways, Provincial Engineering Office, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Education, and the PDRRMO. The task force will conduct an assessment of the different government infrastructures, including bridges and roads in the province.

He said that although the PDRRMO and the DPWH have started infrastructure assessment, the official creation of the task force will establish a well-coordinated assessment and monitoring among agency members.