Iloilo city: The city government here will release protocols to be followed during earthquakes. In an interview on Monday, Mayor Raisa Tre±as said that following their meeting with the response cluster of the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CDRRM) Council, they agreed on coming up with protocols for the city government and schools.

According to Philippines News Agency, for schools, there is a checklist to guide teachers on what to do in case of Intensity 3 (weak) and 4 (moderately strong) quakes. Upon checking school buildings, they have to report to the Iloilo City Operations Center. If there are structural issues, like cracks, the Office of the Building Official and the City Engineer's Office will be deployed to review. However, they could not just immediately suspend classes.

"If ever, it will be case-by-case basis or Intensity V to VI. You can cancel in 3 to 4 days if the classrooms have cracks. It will be on a per-school basis," Tre±as said. Intensity V is classified as 'strong' and VI is 'very strong.'

To ensure safety, school children must be taught about the "duck, cover and hold" protocol. "Schools are doing fire drills every month, so we will add the earthquake drill," she said. Tre±as said they will ask guidance from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) team that will arrive in Iloilo City on Friday on other preparations that they need to do.

"We will make sure that we are prepared for natural hazards," she said. The city government can provide "go-bags" or the emergency preparedness kits but self-help is being encouraged for the meantime. The CDRRM office has been distributing an information guide to help households prepare their Kabalaka (worry) Kit, a set of "tools and supplies needed to sustain life, minimize suffering, maintain dignity and independence, and facilitate appropriate actions in an emergency requiring evacuation."