FOLLOWING powerful earthquakes that struck Surigao del Sur and Occidental Mindoro, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) hinted at a grim scenario in Metro Manila should ‘The Big One’ take place in the region.
According to Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol, the dreaded temblor referred to as ‘The Big One’ may strike anytime soon even as he called on local government units to check on the structural integrity of local infrastructures, if only to avoid turning the place into ground zero.
Bacolcol also appealed to local officials to convince residents living directly atop or near the West Valley Fault which could trigger an earthquake strong enough to kill thousands of people in minutes.
In Quezon City alone, the Phivolcs chief said that close to 6,000 people could die – on top of the 24,000 others who could be seriously injured. Directly affected in the city would be the villages of Batasan Hills, Commonwealth, Bagong Silangan, Holy Spirit and Matandang Balara.
The West Valley Fault is 100 kilometers in length and traverses the cities of Metro Manila namely Taguig, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Quezon City, Pasig, Makati, and Marikina as well as nearby provinces of Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, and Bulacan.
Previous Studies
Phivolcs in its previous studies may see Quezon City and Manila absorbing the biggest casualties if a magnitude 7.2 quake emanated from the West Valley Fault happens.
He disclosed that some LGUs like Quezon City, Makati City, Pasig City and Muntinlupa City have been implementing measures to encourage residents living along the West Valley Fault (WVF) to transfer to safer places.
"We can cite, for example, the LGU of Quezon City that has ongoing projects as they constantly remind homeowners and residents affected by the West Valley Fault to move out and transfer away from the fault line," he said.
However, asking residents to go somewhere else safe is not as easy as many thought it is.
Nowhere To Go?
Despite warnings, residents don't seem keen on the idea of relocating to “somewhere else safe” citing what appears to be compelling reasons that the government should address even to make them leave a place close to work, school and opportunities.
To some, leaving the place they have considered their home for years is not acceptable, while quite a large number of the reluctant local folks claimed that they have nowhere to go – or money to pay rent.
Other than rent, families living in danger zones – under the bridge, near waterways or in slum areas – said that they don’t have work in places where the government intends to relocate them.
“Wala man kaming sariling bahay, andito naman ang diskarte.”
Alarming JICA Figures
A study conducted years ago by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) warned of an Apocalypse in Metro Manila.
According to JICA, 10 percent of public buildings and 170,000 houses would be leveled to the ground by “The Big One,’ even as the group of Japanese seismologists claimed that the strongest earthquakes in the West Valley Fault had recurring intervals of 400 to 500 years – with the last one recorded in 1658.
“It’s been 365 years since the last major quake emanating from the fault in 1658,” said Bacolcol, as he urged the public to be ready for a strong quake by taking the government-initiated earthquake drills seriously.
Ready Than Before
The Phivolcs chief categorically claimed that the country is comparatively more prepared than it was decades ago – "We are more prepared now than, say, 20 or years ago," Bacolcol was quoted as saying in a media interview (not Opinyon).
He also called on the residents from Metro Manila and adjoining provinces of Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan to keep an emergency bag that contains, among others, medicines and food that can last at least up to three days.
He advised the public to be on alert and to not panic in case strong tremors occur.
“Preparedness is the reason why regular earthquake drills are conducted by the national and local governments along with the private sector.”
Don’t Rely on Socmed
Moreover, Bacolcol emphasized that Phivolcs is the only official source of information about earthquakes and other disasters happening in the country, even as he called on the public not to rely so much on social media for information.
"Never rely on posts on social media, which are often unreliable while some are fake news," he quipped.
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