By Xarah Yap

By Noriko Yamamoto

The Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) held its emergency drills in the Basic Education (BE) — encompassing the Ateneo Grade School (AGS), Ateneo Junior High School (AJHS), and Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) — on Wednesday, January 7.

The drills commenced at 1:05 p.m., starting with a shelter-in-place simulation aimed to prepare students for the possibility of an armed intruder posing a threat on campus.

It was then followed by an earthquake drill, wherein students evacuated from their classrooms to their assigned stations.

Students from the AGS and AJHS evacuated to the parking lot in front of their respective buildings, while the ASHS students stayed at the school’s open field.

“I would actually say that this drill is very useful because I’m new to the campus,” Tala Tayao from 11-Grande stated.

“I don’t know the campus, so I wouldn’t know where to go in the case of a real emergency,” she added.

Meanwhile, Grade 11 student Ella* highlighted the struggles that persons with disabilities (PWDs) may face during such situations.

“What I found most difficult during the drill was having to go under the table because of my back brace,” she said.

She also mentioned possible alternative and clearer instructions that could prove helpful to PWDs for future emergency drills.

“I think that the school could provide modified procedures and positions for those with physical limitations,” she suggested.

The drill concluded shortly after the students completed the required procedures; ASHS students were then dismissed early at 1:40 p.m. after the drill.

Names marked with an asterisk (*) are pseudonyms as the interviewees preferred to be addressed anonymously.