The Iloilo provincial government has equipped its employees with hard hats, rechargeable headlights and emergency whistles as part of its earthquake preparedness measures.

Alfonso Baldonado III, chief of the Administrative and Training Division of the Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said Thursday the helmets provide added protection, particularly for the head, during earthquakes.

The standard earthquake safety procedure is to “duck, cover and hold,” but the helmets provide additional protection from falling debris, Baldonado said.

The 2,300 hard hats have been distributed to provincial government offices for use by employees and clients when needed.

Baldonado said Governor Arthur Defensor Jr., through the PDRRMO, approved the initiative following a series of earthquakes last year.

Each helmet comes with a rechargeable headlight and an emergency whistle, which Baldonado said could be useful during an earthquake or other emergencies.

He described the initiative as a best practice in disaster risk reduction and management.

Employees participating in Thursday’s third-quarter nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill were seen wearing the helmets as they evacuated the provincial capitol building.

It was the first time provincial government employees used the equipment during the drill. (PNA)