GOVERNMENT AT EASE DESPITE IMPENDING NATURAL CALAMITIES

by Giano D. Dionisio

With devastating earthquakes hitting numerous cities around the world on an unprecedented rate, more and more people are becoming anxious about the possibility of a similar tragedy occurring in the Metro; however, the government as yet seems lax about the issue.

In March alone, 11 different countries were struck by prominent quakes including the recent one in Turkey where 50 were reported dead. Three months into 2010 and a total of over 230,000 deaths have been attributed to harsh earthquakes, most notably the one in Haiti on January 12 of this year.

Seismology in the Philippines

Seismic Hazard Map, Earthquake Density Map, and Seismicity Map of the Philippines

The Philippines is located within the Pacific Ring of Fire and is comprised of 22 active volcanoes and 27 more that are potentially active, the rest categorized as inactive; earthquakes are thus a common happening in the country, although barely felt.

Recently, though, more evident tremors have been felt around the country particularly in Cagayan and the Solomon Islands, though no damage or casualties were reported.

Despite this, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has no concrete plan in case of an unexpected quake.

Preparation over prevention

Phivolcs director Renato Solidum, however, continues to advocate public preparedness for such calamities, and urges citizens to participate in earthquake drills.

Seismologists at Phivolcs suggest not to be in a state of unnecessary panic because “earthquakes are natural events and we can’t do anything about them except be prepared.”

When asked about sites of concern, they said the Marikina Fault Line is the most dangerous potential cause of an earthquake as it passes through a large part of the metro including Katipunan, Pasig, and the south—the damage it could inflict, they say, is beyond that of any other disaster in the country’s recent history.

Other than earthquakes

Meanwhile, regarding other natural calamities such as flooding and landslides, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) promises to complete their Geohazard mapping program by June under the supervision of department head Horacio Ramos, former Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) director.

Carmen Aquino of the DENR Public Informations office said, in Filipino, “We shouldn’t focus on earthquakes just because we’ve been seeing a lot of them happen. The Philippines is still most prone to destruction brought on by typhoons.”

She adds that in the case of a natural disaster, the Filipinos will be resilient, as seen in the display of charity and camaraderie after the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy late last year.

Lastly, she reiterated that these catastrophes wreak the most damage when paired with the negligence of the people and poor-quality infrastructure; and thus we should all become more aware of our role in these events.

Whether or not there is any truth in the fanatical 2012 predictions, it is still most advisable to prepare for the worst and do all we can to ensure our own safety.

Graphs and charts via US Geological Survey

Related links:
PHIVOLCS Earthquake Preparedness Guide
DENR to audit ‘hazardous’ structures in geo-hazard areas