Manila Water Company: MWSS compound-wide Earthquake Drill Conducted

MWSS compound-wide Earthquake Drill Conducted

Posted: Tuesday August 28, 2007

All offices housed within the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) compound in Balara, Quezon City participated in a recent compound-wide earthquake drill.

Photo shows the employees of different offices within the MWSS compound simulating evacuation during the recently-conducted earthquake drill. Inset shows Government Corporate Counsel and OIC of MWSS Regulatory Office Alberto Agra in a discussion with Manila Water Chief Finance Officer Sherisa P. Nuesa.

Despite a heavy downpour, some 500 employees coming from the MWSS Corporate and Regulatory Offices, Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), Manila Water Company, Maynilad Water Services, Commission on Audit, Water and Sewerage Sector Savings and Loan Association, Inc. (WASSSLAI), Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) and a branch of the Philippine National Bank, took part in the drill which seeks to instill disaster-preparedness in the mindset of employees. Organized by the Business Continuity Team of the Manila Water Company and ably assisted by the latter’s Sagip Buhay Responder Team and the 503rd Water Battalion, the drill is part of the East Zone concessionaire’s contingency plan to ensure safety among its employees so that the provision of water services remains uninterrupted in the wake of disasters and other calamities such as earthquakes, fire, typhoons and the like.

Manila Water has taken the lead in the conduct of different drills among all offices within the MWSS premises. The drills are part of the company’s disaster-preparedness and response plans. During the first quarter of this year, a company-wide earthquake drill was also undertaken to address an earthquake scenario where major water lines will be affected. Fire drills as well as drills involving chemical leaks, damages to dams and others are regularly conducted.