High-rise disaster threats

As a newspaper front page news, my dream headline goes like this: “Massive earthquake strikes Manila — no effect and business as usual.”

It was meant to be a good-natured joke by Jerry Velasquez, senior regional coordinator of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) for Asia-Pacific, on how good it is if we’re well prepared for disaster. It was in reply to my email to him about two weeks ago after we attended the UNISDR-organized forum on climate change and disaster risk reduction held in Hanoi, Vietnam last March 3-4.

Velasquez, who is the highest Filipino official in this UN specialized body, echoed this wish in witty retort to my request for him to keep me posted on whatever news and developments that may come up in the UNISDR about the Philippines.

Velasquez has been in the forefront in the UNISDR campaign to create awareness and support to disaster preparedness programs in the governments and peoples in the Asia-Pacific region. His wisecrack turned out to be prophetic when a magnitude 9 earthquake shook Sendai, Japan and triggered deadly tsunami and wreaked devastation in its northeastern region.

Japan and the Philippines are situated in the earthquake belt of the world as both countries lie in the so-called Ring of Fire. But unlike the Philippines, Japan is the world’s most disaster-prepared country with its high-rise buildings built and equipped to withstand the strongest earthquake.

Levity aside, Velasquez expressed his deep concern about the much-feared big earthquake that may happen also in the Philippines given the present state and condition of high-rise structures, especially those condemned buildings that are still up around Metro Manila.

“This makes me more afraid of the situation in Manila. All what I’m reading now are calls to prepare with no concrete plans on what is going to be done. We have too many structures with poor building standard. We have too many structures in poor soil. We have no contingency plan. We have little preparedness. We cannot help ourselves much in times of need,” Velasquez pointed out.

As far as the UNISDR can do for its part, he said, he is now seriously thinking of what things can be done given these situations already existing in the Philippines.

“We can’t help everybody but we can focus on a few things that can help. I hope I can now start schools and hospitals inspection and retrofitting in a few cities in Manila, starting with Makati (because they are willing),” he said.

He suggested “simple” disaster risk reduction measures that we can do at home to mitigate the impact of unpredictable natural hazards like earthquake. There are things you can do that are simple, he cited, like agreeing on alternative place to meet, in case there are no phones, no transport and your house is not suitable for occupancy. It’s also good to have provisions for three days worth of supplies. Basic things like water and food. If you spend more time in the office, then keep this in a bag in your office. Otherwise, keep them in your house.

Speaking of high-rise buildings, a friend from Singapore was teasing me over the photo and story that came out last week in the newspapers in Manila, including The STAR. It was about President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III emerging all smiles as he made up the last flight of stairs to ground level after viewing some used-water pumps 60 meters underground at the Changi Water Reclamation Plant on the first day of his state visit in Singapore last March 9.

My friend who lives in Singapore found it funny that the “20 flights of stairs” that President Aquino successfully climbed up was reported as “24 storey” flight of stairs. At the most, my friend explained to me, the “20 flights of stairs” would be equivalent to about a six-storey high building and not 24 storeys as reported in Manila.

Accompanied by members of his delegation who included 71-year-old Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto del Rosario, President Aquino climbed up the stairs to get back to the ground level. My friend emailed to me the original story that came out in the Singapore Straits Times that I am reprinting excerpts of this news as published.

“Philippine President Benigno Aquino had an eventful first day in Singapore yesterday - including having to climb 20 flights of stairs after a lift broke down.

His first stop after arriving from Jakarta was the Changi Water Reclamation Plant in Tanah Merah.

The 51-year-old was shown the facility by senior executives of national water agency PUB, and was accompanied by members of his delegation as well as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Lim Swee Say.

“The tour included going 60m underground to view some used-water pumps. But as the group prepared to head back up, the only lift broke down - the first time this has happened since the plant opened more than two years ago.

Technicians scurried to get it working again but after 20 minutes, Mr Aquino removed his jacket, loosened his tie and took to the stairs.

Accompanied by Mr Lim, he remained in good spirits, taking short breaks along the way. An aide said Mr Aquino had a slight cough.

Members of his delegation helped keep the mood buoyant, with one Cabinet secretary quipping: ‘We’re okay, Mr President, we’ll follow you anywhere you go.’

Reaching the top after a 10-minute climb, Mr. Aquino was given a towel and some water, along with apologies from Mr Lim and PUB executives.

His reply: ‘No problem at all.’

And he had to head for his next appointment.”

When I chanced upon the other day Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, who was also with the President in Singapore, I needled him about this story. He insisted, though, that the flight of stairs they climbed up was almost like 24-storeys. Although he and the President are of the same age, Purisima reluctantly admitted he was catching his breath after each flight of stairs.

Anyway, it was a feel good story for President Aquino who has reportedly been finding time in his busy schedule to do some laps of biking around his bachelor’s pad at the Bahay Pangarap in Malacañang Palace grounds. The chain-smoking President could not kick the habit that’s been causing his smoker’s cough. For sure, the stress of bringing back home overseas Filipinos stranded in disaster-stricken Japan and the strife-torn Middle East countries are giving him more reasons to smoke.