As part of its continuing efforts to promote the safety, protection, and well-being of learners at the Balay Balay Child Minding Center (BBCMC), the University of the Philippines Visayas Gender and Development Program (UPV GDP), in collaboration with the UPV Crisis Management Committee (CMC), conducted disaster simulation drills at the UPV Iloilo campus on Oct. 13, 2026.
The gender-responsive, trauma-informed, and child-centered disaster simulation drills were developed in consultation with Dr. Bernice Vania Mamauag, a faculty member of the UPV Psychology Cluster, based on the standard observation checklist from the UP Resilience Institute.
The activity, which coincided with the observance of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, marks the first time that disaster simulation drills were conducted with BBCMC learners as participants.
These learners, aged 3-5 years old, took part in a playful simulation of an earthquake at the BBCMC to equip them with practical knowledge and appropriate response measures during emergencies.
Likewise, parents and guardians of these learners took part in a gender-responsive disaster preparedness training earlier this month. They had been briefed on the protocols in case of emergencies at the BBCMC.
The drills for the children included the activation of the warning system, the conduct of the “duck-cover-hold,” the exit from the building, and the assembly at the evacuation area.
The teachers assisted the learners in wearing hard hats, ensured they observed the buddy system so that everyone was accounted for, and instructed them to hold on to the red ribbon until they reached the evacuation area. To make an even more enjoyable experience, they also prompted the learners to sing about falling in line while doing these drills. The teachers were assisted by personnel of the GDP.
Interns and staff of the Office of Legal Aid under the UP College of Law and personnel of the Community Outreach Program-BIDANI also participated in the simulation. Personnel from the Security Service Force, Health Services Unit, and Campus Maintenance and Development Office were also present to observe the conduct of the drills.
The same activity will be held for BBCMC learners in the Miagao campus on Oct. 15.
Written by Carlson Alelis, IPO
Photos by Carlson Alelis, IPO
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