Disaster management authorities will stress-test inter-agency coordination and emergency response networks against a catastrophic coastal threat during the Fourth Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on Thursday, November 5, 2026.
Led by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in coordination with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and local government units, the drill will center on a full-scale mega-quake and tsunami exercise staged in Santa Ana, Cagayan.
The high-intensity scenario models a magnitude 8.5 earthquake generated by movement along the East Luzon Trough, with the epicenter located 180 kilometers southeast of Santa Ana, Cagayan.
The main event begins at 8:00 a.m., marked by the ceremonial pressing of the button at 9:00 a.m. to signal the immediate Duck, Cover, and Hold procedure alongside community evacuation protocols.
The simulation directly evaluates Santa Ana, Cagayan’s Contingency Plan for Earthquake and Tsunami, while testing operational alignment with the Regional Disaster Response Plan (RDRP) under the Cagayan Valley Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC).
Participating agencies and emergency responders will be evaluated across key operational domains, including Early Warning System (EWS) activation, community evacuation, emergency telecommunications, Incident Management Teams (IMTs) deployment, and alternate Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) setup.
The full-scale drill will also assess logistical coordination, Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) handling, Search, Rescue, and Retrieval (SRR) units, Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM), Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) protection, Water Search and Rescue (WaSAR), Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM), and law and order enforcement.
Simultaneously, specialized responder units will execute tactical responses for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) hazards alongside oil spill containment scenarios.
Parallel earthquake drills led by OCD Regional Offices will take place nationwide alongside the main exercise in Santa Ana, Cagayan.
The national drill coincides with World Tsunami Awareness Day (WTAD) 2026, held under the theme “Resilience Starts with You” to promote individual and community risk reduction.
As part of the joint observances, the OCD will host the “Over Coffee Dialogues: Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness,” convening government experts and international disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) practitioners.
The OCD urged the public to join local drills, review safety procedures for earthquakes and tsunamis, and regularly execute safety measures to strengthen community resilience.