Over three thousand deaths in one city alone. Not to mention the potential damage to various infrastructures that will effectively paralyze the local economy and cause even more casualties for months to come.
These are the potential impacts of a possible “Big One” – an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher – hitting Laguna province, local officials had warned over and over again.
And now, following the recent series of earthquakes that have struck Visayas and Mindanao in the past weeks, concerns had been raised once again among Lagunenses about the potential effects of the dreaded “Big One.”
Concerns for the safety of Lagunenses are nothing new, particularly due to the proximity of the West Valley Fault line system that runs under the province’s so-called “Industrial Belt” where commercial, industrial and residential complexes are concentrated.
Backdrop of corruption
But this time, there’s genuine cause for alarm.
The reason: the recent earthquakes occurred against the backdrop of the ongoing revelations of massive graft and corruption inside the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Reports of public buildings such as city halls and markets suffering major damageshave also rattled a populace still reeling with the bombshell revelations made by former DPWH officials in Bulacan: that almost every public infrastructure work, not just flood-control projects, were “substandard” after the money was siphoned off to corrupt officials.
Grim estimates
Way back in February, the Biñan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) has given Lagunenses a hint of what could have happened should a 7.0-magnitude earthquake or higher strike Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
In Biñan City alone, around 3,000 residents are projected to die from the earthquake itself.
This does not include the hundreds of thousands that can be injured or affected by the massive disruption of transportation and communication lines which are sure to hamper efforts to aid affected residents.
Immediate response
Following the 7.4 magnitude earthquake that struck Davao Oriental last October 10, officials in Laguna province have immediately scrambled to ensure the structural integrity of public structures in the province – and to reassure Lagunenses that measures are in place to ensure their safety.
Laguna Governor Sol Aragones immediately ordered the suspension of classes in all levels in public and private schools in the province until October 31.
At the same time, the governor also ordered the immediate inspection of all public schools and other infrastructures in the province to check their structural integrity.
West Valley Fault concerns
Of particular concern among authorities are communities living right under, or near the vicinity of, the West Valley Fault line that runs from San Pedro to Calamba cities.
In an interview with OpinYon Laguna, Ron Roscain, officer-in-charge of the Biñan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), reported that the city had already taken proactive measures to protect residents living near the fault line, particularly in the barangays of San Francisco, Biñan and Malamig.
“After po ng pronouncement ni Governor Aragones ng suspension of classes, nag-utos na po si Mayor Gel Alonte sa ating City Engineering Department to conduct physical inventory inspection sa mga school building, particularly doon sa mga schools na tatamaan ng West Valley Fault,” Roscain said.
Regular drills
Aside from routine inspection of both public and private infrastructures in barangays near the fault line, the CDRRMO official added that the city has conducted routine training programs and drills to prepare everyone for the “Big One.”
The CDRRMO has also identified open spaces and other safe structures inside schools and barangays that can be used as temporary shelter areas for earthquake victims.
"Hindi po kasi pwedeng gamitin ang mga multi-purpose gym, lalo na kung lindol ang pinag-uusapan,” Roscain explained.
“Kapag mayroon tayong baha, pwede yung multi-purpose. However, kapag earthquake na pinag-uusapan natin, ang ating inirerekomenda na evacuation center ay yung mga open spaces sa barangay.”
DPWH role
Little, however, has been said over the possible effects of the massive corruption inside the DPWH on the structural integrity of almost every public infrastructure in Laguna province.
Notably, DPWH officials in the province have kept their silence on how they – the main agency tasked with the maintenance of public buildings – have ensured that these structures can withstand the effects of the dreaded “Big One.”
Also unanswered is the question: has the uncontrolled greed of certain government officials have turned many of these public structures into ticking time bombs?
Or, as it happened last July with the weeklong rains, would it take an earthquake to reveal the extent of this wholesale robbery of public funds?
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