DAYS after a 7.4-magnitude earthquake shuddered the ground of Surigao del Sur, the government resurfaced and bragged on the readiness of the country against the “Big One,” which according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) is strong enough to cause the death and injury of thousands in a matter of minutes.
From how it looks, the government only gets to react whenever something bad takes place, just like what Phivolcs has been warning about for more than a decade now.
Interestingly, the intensity of the Surigao earthquake is something that we should all be concerned with as the “Big One” – which has been seen recurring every 400 years – may strike at any time.
Emanating from the 100-kilometer West Valley Fault, the “Big One” according to experts may trigger a magnitude 7.2 in the National Capital Region, based on the Metropolitan Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study conducted nearly a decade ago.
It is interesting to note that it’s been 365 years since the last major quake emanating from the fault in 1658.
The same study said that even a 30-second quake of that magnitude in the most populated region can leave up to 34,000 people dead, 90 percent of them from being crushed in collapsed structures or suffocated or burned in fires.
In another study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency together with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the projected destruction is pegged at 10 percent of public buildings and 170,000 houses.
According to the government, the regular earthquake drills is an indicator that people have already been taught on what to do when a strong temblor takes place. However, viral videos showing how people behaved during the earthquake doesn’t seem reflective of the government claim of readiness.
Moreover, agencies tasked to pool resources in anticipation of the “Big One” made a categorical announcement on what they referred to as disaster response and mitigation measures in place.
For one, there’s no way to stop an earthquake but the government may as well seriously consider honest-to-goodness measures to at least keep the people out of danger – especially the poor who have no choice but to live in shanties along waterways, under the bridge, at the cliff, etcetera.
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