Everyone knows that during an earthquake, one should duck, cover and hold: duck under a sturdy table, cover your head and hold on until the shaking stops.

Disaster response expert Ted Esguerra said that during an earthquake, a person must immediately go to a place where there is no danger of being struck by falling debris.

If there is no place where you can duck cover and hold, he said a person can find a spot where you can stabilize your position, hold on until the swaying stops and do the tripod position.

The tripod position is when a person has one knee on the ground while the other one is up, allowing quick movement.

Esguerra said the position allows a person to look to the right, left and up and quickly move away if there is falling debris. Bowing your head and looking straight at the ground is a no-no because you cannot see what is happening around you.

"Tandaan natin sa lindol, ang lindol hindi nakakamatay o nakakasugat. Ang nakakasugat at nakakamatay yung hazards na sumusunod," he said.

He also advises against covering your head during an evacuation because it cuts off your peripheral vision and "because you need your hands for balance."

"Walang logic na humawak ako sa ulo. Pag may bumagsak, kahit bigyan pa kita ng sampung kamay, madadale ka talaga."

"Nasa labas ka na ng eskwelahan, nakahawak ka pa sa ulo. Minsan binibiro ko na nga lang, pag may lindol meron bang mga meteor o asteroid na bumabagsak sa iyo? Bakit ka pa nakahawak sa ulo?"

Esguerra said "duck, cover and hold" is a remnant of bomb drills during the Cold War.

He pointed out that the Japanese people have perfected the process of earthquake response because of the frequency of earthquakes in the country. "Ang mga Hapon hindi humahawak sa ulo kapag nag e -evacuate. They just evacuate normally."