Phivolcs reminder: Be ready for the ‘Big One’

Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol urged the public to be ready for a strong quake. He said people must keep an emergency bag that contains, among others, medicines and food that can last at least up to three days. “We are more prepared now than, say, 20 or years ago,” Bacolcol told The Manila Times.

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, Bacolcol said.

At the same time, he reminded the public that Phivolcs is the only official source1 of information about earthquakes and other disasters happening in the country.

“Never rely on posts on social media, which are often unreliable while some are fake news,” he said.

NIGHT OF TERROR Residents and medical personnel evacuate patients from inside a hospital after a 7.6 earthquake struck Butuan City, in the southern island of Mindanao, late Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023. AFP photo 

Bacolcol said the agency has been constantly reminding concerned government agencies as well as local government units to make sure “that the big buildings or structures that are being constructed are meeting the requirements under the Building Code that they can withstand a strong earthquake.”

He said 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.

In a previous study, Phivolcs said that Quezon City and Manila would have the biggest casualties if a magnitude 7.2 quake emanated from the WFV.

It said close to 6,000 people could die in Quezon City alone, and more than 24,000 could be seriously injured.

The villages of Batasan Hills, Commonwealth, Bagong Silangan, Holy Spirit and Matandang Balara would be the most affected areas by a major tremor, Phivolcs said.

Phivolcs said movements in the Philippine Trench and active fault triggered the Surigao del Sur earthquake, the strongest in a decade in Mindanao.

A trench, according to Phivolcs, is the deepest portion of the sea floor, while a fault is a break, fracture, fissure, or zone of weakness where movement or displacement had occurred or may occur again, and an active fault is a fault that has moved within the last 10, 000 years.

Bacolcol said the country has at least 175 active fault segments.

The Philippine Trench runs from Mindanao all the way to the Bicol Region.

Other trenches include the Manila Trench, Sulu Trench, Negros Trench and Cotabato Trench.

Phivolcs issued a tsunami warning for all coastal communities in Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental that prompted the evacuation of residents following the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that occurred at 10:37 p.m. and some 30 kilometers northeast of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.

The highest tsunami wave generated by Saturday’s tremor measured 0.64 meters and hit the shores of Mawes Island, Hinatuan, it said.

Bacolcol said 765 aftershocks have been recorded as of Sunday noon. Seven of them were strong enough to be felt by residents.

The strongest aftershock with a magnitude 6.2 was recorded at 1:40 a.m. Sunday, Phivolcs said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assured the earthquake victims of government assistance.

In a statement, Marcos said his directives to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of the Interior and Local Government were to ensure that they would be able “to provide essential aid to those in need.”

The Department of Public Works and Highways is “diligently assessing the Caraga region” for infrastructure damage, he said.

Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said the House of Representatives stood with the people of Surigao del Sur, saying the quake and the strong aftershocks “have brought significant challenges, and our hearts go out to all those who have been affected.”

“We are prepared to mobilize resource1s and pass urgent measures that can aid in the recovery and rebuilding efforts. The welfare and safety of our citizens are of utmost importance, and we will work tirelessly to address their needs during this critical time,” Romualdez said.