Surigao quake is another grim reminder
LIKE the Biblical second coming of Christ, an earthquake hits like a thief in the night. Stopping such a natural phenomenon is certainly not humanly possible, but being prepared is all what mere mortals can do to possibly avoid extensive damage and loss of lives.
The dreary images of suffering and destruction in Surigao City brought about by the 6.7-magnitude temblor last Feb. 10 that killed eight people ought to strengthen our resolve to establish in our country a culture of preparedness especially in Metro Manila and other highlyurbanized areas.
The Surigao quake that also injured about 200 people, disrupted supply of power and water, and damaged houses, buildings, roads and bridges behooves authorities to be on a constant state of readiness to respond to all needs—from emergency rescue of trapped victims to timely distribution of relief goods, as well as counseling to those severely traumatized by continuing aftershocks.
But perhaps more important than being merely reactive are efforts to institute much needed measures to lessen the disastrous consequences of the so-called Big One that is bound to happen again anytime. Indeed, it’s not a question of “if” but rather of “when” it will really happen.
Two scientific studies of the possible effects of a major earthquake in Metro Manila—the Greater Metro Manila Area Risk Analysis Project and the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study—have drawn similar scenes of apocalyptic doomsday: 35,000 deaths, half a million injuries, 500 simultaneous fires in 98,000 to 170,000 collapsed structures, and about P2.4 trillion in damage.
And Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology chief Renato Solidum has repeatedly warned that the West Valley Fault—stretching from Bulacan through Quezon City and eastern parts of Metro Manila to Laguna and Cavite—could move anytime now because it “moves every 400 years on average” and it last moved in 1658 or 359 years ago.
Yet despite all the warnings and the doomsday scenario visualized in the two extensive studies, it is lamentable that nothing much— except for a periodic earthquake drill every now and then—is being done to strengthen our state of preparedness.
Before the Surigao disaster, there was the 7.2-magnitude temblor that hit Bohol in 2013. That powerful earthquake should have prompted frenzied efforts to drastically lessen risks. By this time, local government units ought to have already undertaken extensive surveys of all buildings, houses, and infrastructure to determine those that are of great risk so that corrective retrofitting measures, if not outright demolition, could be done on structures found defective.
But amid the seeming complacency, it isn’t too late to heighten preparedness. And let me reiterate what ought to be done: Houseto-house inspections should be conducted to evaluate structural integrity and determine how to correct deficiencies and what kind of retrofitting shall the structure undergo—with the primary purpose of saving lives.
Civic-minded structural engineers and architects could form themselves into groups and, in the spirit of bayanihan, conduct “engineering missions” that will look into structures of informal settlers and help in strengthening dwellings of those who cannot pay for professional fees.
For structures that are being built or have yet to be built, government monitoring must be intensified to ensure strict compliance of minimal requirements provided in the National Building Code and the Structural Code for buildings to withstand strong tremors.
We must take the cue from Japan that has become the world’s foremost authority on earthquake and tsunami preparedness. Buildings there are earthquake proof with the help of deep foundations and massive shock absorbers to dampen seismic energy and enable the building’s base to move semiindependently thereby reducing shaking.
When Japan is hit by an earthquake, all TV and radio stations switch immediately to official earthquake coverage to inform people of tsunamis and other risks. Those trapped are able to survive because offices and many homes have emergency kits consisting of drinking water, dry rations, and basic medical supplies.
All Japanese schoolchildren are trained during monthly drills on what to do when the earth starts to shake: Get a padded cover stored in schools, cover their heads with it, and go head-first beneath the nearest desk and hold on to table legs until the quake is over.
The need for Filipinos to be fully prepared is imperative because, as Solidum explained, the geological location of the Philippines “is in the Ring of Fire and it is prone to earthquakes.”
Before the 2013 Bohol quake, another powerful one was the 7.7magnitude temblor off the coast of Eastern Samar in 2012. There’s also the 1990 7.8-magnitude Luzon earthquake that caused massive destruction and loss of lives in Baguio, Dagupan, and Cabanatuan. And the fall of Ruby Tower in Manila in 1968 crushed to death about 270 residents at the height of a 7.3magnitude tremor.
Other devastating earthquakes here goes farther back, more than a century ago when the frequent destruction of the San Sebastian Church in Manila prompted the construction of its all-steel edifice in 1891, the only church of its kind in the world that now stands as an enduring testament to the human spirit’s grim determination to put up with the destructive power of one of the most violent forces of nature.
Disaster preparedness with more frequent earthquake drills should indeed become a way of life for Filipinos. And constantly imploring God’s protection as we prepare for the Big One could give us peace of mind.