When the ground shakes, readiness cannot remain on paper. For Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), preparedness means putting plans, people, technology, and partnerships through their paces—before a real emergency does.
More than 6,000 Meralco employees and partners took part in the third-quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on September 30, 2026, across the company’s headquarters in Pasig City, sector offices, and business centers. Conducted with the Office of Civil Defense–National Capital Region (OCD-NCR) and the Metro Manila Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC), the full-scale exercise simulated a 7.2-magnitude earthquake along the West Valley Fault, with impacts reaching Intensity VIII.
Led by Meralco’s Business Continuity Management Office, the exercise tested more than evacuation routes. It examined the company’s ability to protect employees, sustain critical operations, and restore essential electricity services amid a major seismic event.
The scenario packed plenty into one day: chemical spills, blackouts, fires, mass-casualty triage, high-angle and collapsed-structure rescues, a press conference, and the deployment of generators and floodlights to an evacuation center. Satellite phones and satellite-based broadband were also activated to maintain communications, while improvised offices and essential facilities demonstrated how operations could continue when conventional infrastructure is compromised.
The exercise also brought government and resilience partners to the table. Evaluators from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Department of Health, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, and NCR offices of DSWD, DILG, DOST, BFP, and PNP participated, with the Pasig City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office observing.
OCD-NCR Regional Director George F. Keyser emphasized that reliable power is fundamental to emergency response, healthcare, water systems, communications, businesses, and other critical services—making public-private cooperation essential to community resilience.
For Meralco First Vice President Jerry B. Lao, the value of the drill is straightforward: “move beyond what is created in our plans and put those plans into action.” After all, resilience is not something a company can simply plug in when needed. It has to be tested, practiced, and powered into reality.
