SAN ILDEFONSO, Bulacan — The Bulacan Agricultural State College (BASC) successfully conducted a comprehensive disaster preparedness drill cum seminar on October 24, 2025, at the college campus, engaging the entire community in critical response training for earthquake and fire emergencies.

The safety initiative, designed to translate knowledge into life-saving action, was led by Dr. Robert A. Capalad, Director of the General Services, Security and Transportation Office (GSSTO). The planning phase underscored BASC’s commitment to collaboration, with Mr. Edwin S. Santos, President of the Federation of Supreme Student Council (FSSC), ensuring broad student involvement and leadership throughout the training.

To ensure an orderly and efficient evacuation during the drill, the campus was divided into three distinct organizational clusters, allowing for swift mobilization across all key buildings:

• Cluster 1: Administration Office, Office of Student Affairs and Services (OSAS), Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO), Office of the College Registrar, Engineering Building, Arts and Sciences Building, General Services, Security, and Transportation Office (GSSTO), College Clinic, Information Technology Building, Quality Assurance Office, BASCFEA, VPAA Office, BASC Housing, Research, Extension, Production and Development  Office, Farmers Training Building, Student Center, Motorpool, Dormitory Building, College Library Office, Chemistry Building, Food Tech Building, and the International Relation Office.
• Cluster 2: BASC Open Gymnasium, Canteen, Cayetano Hall, Management Information System Office, Alumni Relations and Affairs Office, Function Hall, Casa de Bulac, Education Building, BASC Gymnasium, ROTC Office, CM Building, BASC Food Court, and the IPTBM Office.
• Cluster 3: College of Agriculture, C.A. Gymnasium, and the Veterinary Medicine Building.

The program featured specialized sessions delivered by local emergency experts. Mr. Kent Melville DC. Espiritu, Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer I, and Mr. King Charlie Flores, Operation and Warning Unit Staff, from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of San Ildefonso, Bulacan, provided detailed instruction on earthquake preparedness. They discussed the critical protocols under the topic, “Things to remember and do during an earthquake” which covered essential procedures such as “Drop, Cover, and Hold” and the proper execution of campus evacuation procedures.

Following the earthquake preparedness module, SFO1 Dominador I. Sulit, Chief Operations from the San Ildefonso Bureau of Fire Station, discussed vital fire safety precautions specific to the College environment. SFO1 Sulit offered life-saving guidance on identifying fire hazards, effective use of fire extinguishers, and strategic evacuation routes.

While BASC President Jameson H. Tan emphasizes institutional priority placed on safety, this was affirmed by Dr. Cecilia S. Santiago, Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA). In her message, Dr. Santiago stressed the critical, long-term value of the training, urging all participants to take the drill very seriously. She reinforced the idea that preparedness extends beyond regulatory compliance, standing as a shared institutional responsibility to protect lives and maintain stability.

The successful completion of the exercise reaffirms BASC’s dedicated effort to foster a safe, secure, and responsive learning environment, ensuring the entire community is equipped to act decisively when faced with an emergency.

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