Insufficient budget
THE CITY may not have sufficient budget if the “Big One” hits the city, a disaster reduction official said.
Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) chief Alfredo Baloran said “if the Big One will really hit us, our budget won’t be really enough because we have five segments of the Central Davao Fault System.”
Based on the reports of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), the Central Davao Fault System has five segments: the Lacson Fault with 33 kilometers length, Pangyan-Biao with 33 kms, Tamugan Fault with 25 kms, Dacudao Fault with 18 kms, and the New Carmen Fault with 12 kms.
“The greatest damage will be on the nearest buildings within the fault area but even the downtown area will be affected because according to the PHIVOLCS, the Big One may be felt within a 100km radius,” Baloran said.
“In fact, we can even feel shaking from more than a hundred kilometer radius as far as in Davao Oriental,” he said.
If the “Big One” will hit the city and produce a 7-magnitude earthquake, Baloran said the damage will be so much, hence, they are prioritizing preparedness.
“If that will really hit us, I do not know what will happen to Davao City. That is why, we are prioritizing the preparedness. In fact, the city administrator issued a memorandum requiring all government offices in the local government to have at least one earthquake drill every month,” Baloran said.
Baloran also emphasized the importance of educating the young.
“Also, we are encouraging the schools to instill to the minds of the parents to teach their children the basic things to do during earthquake which is the duck, cover, and hold. Even at a young age, we must be able to teach them already the basic thing to do so that they may know how to act whenever earthquake strikes wherever they may be,” he said.
This year, the City Council approved a P436.1 million Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund Investment Plan (DCDRRMFIP).