Davao City, Philippines – August 2, 2025 — The City Government of Davao has shown significant improvement in its disaster preparedness and response capabilities, particularly in ensuring the continuity of public services during emergencies. This was evident during the 5th City-Wide Full-Scale Earthquake and Tsunami (Simex) held on July 25, 2025.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) lauded the performance of various city departments, especially in setting up evacuation and service continuity sites during the simulation. According to CDRRMO head Alfredo Baloran, the city’s fifth annual drill has proven to be the most coordinated and responsive yet.
“We saw a huge improvement. I am happy that the offices already knew what to do,” Baloran said during an interview with Madayaw Davao at the Davao Global Township (DGT), one of the designated evacuation sites.
Strategic Evacuation and Continuity Planning
In the simulated scenario, it was presumed that bridges across the Davao River were rendered impassable following a strong earthquake and tsunami. This prompted the city government to establish two key evacuation zones — one in the north at Orchard Cemetery and another in the south at DGT.
Within these zones, the city rapidly deployed tents, medicines, food supplies, and essential personnel. Communications systems, incident command posts, and emergency operations centers were activated and manned by various response cluster offices.
“The swift setup of evacuation areas, complete with functioning emergency services, reflects the city’s readiness to handle real-life disasters,” Baloran emphasized.
Institutionalizing Resilience
Baloran credited the successful execution of this year’s Simex to the Public Service Contingency Plan passed in 2024. The plan outlines the specific roles of each city office in ensuring the continuity of public service during disasters, enabling a more synchronized and effective response.
“The most important part of this exercise is that we were able to put into action our contingency plan. It gives each office the opportunity to understand what must be done during emergencies—whether it’s an earthquake, storm surge, or any major incident,” he added.
Continuous Improvement Ahead
While the city government celebrates the progress made, Baloran noted that a post-simulation assessment will be conducted to identify areas for further improvement. “We will evaluate the entire exercise to see what still needs to be enhanced in terms of our earthquake and tsunami responses,” he said.
The annual Simex is part of the city’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its disaster preparedness, ensuring not just the safety of its people but also the continuity of critical public services amid calamities.
As climate-related and natural hazards become increasingly unpredictable, Davao City’s proactive and evolving disaster preparedness strategies serve as a model for other local government units aiming to build resilience in the face of future emergencies.