PHIVOLCS urges Filipinos to join quake drills, assess houses
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reminded the public to participate in earthquake drills and check if their homes or workplaces are properly constructed following a devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria.
The Philippines is regularly rocked by quakes due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" — an arc of intense seismic activity.
“Everyone must prepare and must be involved. That is not only the business of PHIVOLCS. It’s everyone’s duty to prepare,” PHIVOLCS officer-in-charge Teresito Bacolcol said in an interview with TeleRadyo on Tuesday evening.
Bacolcol noted that Filipinos are more aware and prepared now compared to 20 years ago, thanks to the nationwide simultaneous earthquake drills conducted by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
“We have to participate in [earthquake drills] because if we constantly participate, it becomes a part of our nature… If there are big events, which I hope don’t happen, our reaction would come out naturally,” he said partly in Filipino.
The Philippines holds simultaneous drills every quarter to help the public prepare for earthquakes. In November 2022, a tsunami scenario was included in the national earthquake drill.
According to PHIVOLCS’ safety guide, people should duck under a sturdy desk or table, hold on to it, or protect their head with their arms, stay away from glass windows, shelves and other heavy objects, and beware of falling objects during an earthquake.
If people are outside, they must move to an open area, stay away from trees, power lines, posts and concrete structures, and move away from steep slopes. If near the shore, move quickly to higher grounds as tsunamis might follow.
Evaluate buildings, houses
“I just want to remind everyone that earthquakes per se do not kill. It’s the collapse of human built structures such as buildings, retaining walls, embankments that may claim lives. So we have to make sure that building codes are strictly followed,” Bacolcol said.
Bacolcol said that poorly constructed high-rise buildings and establishments are dangerous during earthquakes, especially during the “Big One.” But he noted that high-rise buildings constructed after the 2000s are well-made.
He then advised people whose houses or workplaces were built before the country’s building code was instituted to consult an engineer and ensure the structure is properly retrofitted.
Filipinos are also urged to assess their house using the “How safe is my house?” tool for self-check for earthquake safety.
The Office of Civil Defense, an implementing arm of the NDRRMC under the defense department, also issued a reminder that a Magnitude 7.8 earthquake can also occur in the Philippines.
"It is best for us to remain prepared, alert, and well-informed in case of similar unfortunate event may happen in the country," the OCD said Monday.
‘Big one’
Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., who headed PHIVOLCS for a long time, said on Monday that the earthquake in Turkey and Syria will not affect the Philippines as the active fault that caused the major tremor is “too far away and not connected to our active faults.”
Monday’s magnitude 7.8 pre-dawn tremor killed more than 7,800 people across Turkey and Syria, injured tens of thousands, and left many more without shelter in the winter cold. Rescuers are racing against time to find survivors under flattened buildings.
In the Philippines, around 34,000 people could be killed and 100,000 people could be injured should a magnitude 7.2 earthquake — called the “Big One” — hit Metro Manila.
Bacolcol said the West Valley Fault — which could generate the “Big One ”— moves every 400 years, and may move again around 2059. But this may change.
“There’s always this uncertainty principle. Give or take several decades. That’s why we’re saying we’re ripe for the “Big One,” Bacolcol said.
“The best course of action is preparedness in all levels — from community organizations up to local and national governments.”
Assistance
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines will send an 85-member team to Turkey to help in search and rescue operations, and in providing relief assistance to survivors.
Health Secretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency has deployed 31 health emergency responders as part of the country’s contingent. The DOH team is composed of doctors, nurses, medical technologists and other medical professionals.
The health department will also bring 16 tons of medical and rescue equipment.
Fabrizio Carboni, Near and Middle East regional director for the International Committee of the Red Cross, said the humanitarian situation in Syria is dire.
“These facts cannot be ignored; turning a blind eye to humanitarian suffering in Syria is cruel and inhumane,” he said. — Gaea Katreena Cabico with report from Agence France Presse
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