Manila (4 October) -- President Arroyo has directed the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to work closely with the Local Government Units (LGUs) in expanding appropriate disaster response drills and creating rescue teams in all the landslide and flashflood-prone barangays in the country.

The Department of Education is also bringing more schools into the loop of preparedness.

The President is encouraged by the success of the national earthquake drills and wants the same level of community readiness in the case of landslides and flashfloods spawned by typhoons and heavy rains.