Arroyo stressed that it was important for Filipinos to be prepared at all times ''to minimize loss of lives and property'' during such disasters.

''Let us not be unduly alarmed, but by all means, let every vulnerable community be prepared to meet any contingencies whether brought forth by earthquakes, landslides, floods and other natural calamities,'' she said.

''I am directing the National Disaster Coordinating Council to coordinate with PHIVOLCS (the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) and other concerned government agencies in conducting earthquake-preparedness drills in schools, business districts and public places nationwide as part of our massive disaster-awareness campaign,'' she said.

Arroyo earlier ordered the deployment of a humanitarian team to help in the relief efforts after Saturday's magnitude-6.2 quake that struck the Javanese cultural centre of Yogyakarta and nearby areas.

Gilbert Asuque, spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Department, said the 20-member team was preparing to leave for Indonesia as early as Tuesday.

He said the team would be composed of doctors, nurses, psychiatrists and trauma specialists.

The Philippines, like Indonesia, is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone frequently struck by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The Philippines suffered its worst earthquake in 1990 when a magnitude-7.7 tremor killed nearly 2,000 people on the northern island of Luzon. The last major earthquake struck in November 1994, killing 78 people.