LAOAG CITY — Residents here are reminded to prepare for the “Big One” as it may affect not only Manila residents but also those in the provinces.
In a meeting held at the Ilocos Norte Capitol on Tuesday afternoon, geologist Sharmaine Villamil of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said there are so many active faults and trench in Region 1 and the province of Ilocos Norte is surrounded by a lot of earthquake generators.
For example, Villamil noted that the west of Ilocos fault system is just 8.6 kilometers away from the Ilocos Norte Capitol.
In preparation for the third quarter nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill on August 16, 2018, which will be conducted in Ilocos Norte, the Office of the Civil Defense, in coordination with Phivolcs, conducted the first coordination meeting here on Tuesday afternoon.
During the meeting, Villamil underscored the importance of earthquake drills and the possible scenarios in case of a strong earthquake.
“In real-life scenario, we go on our own. So, we must practice emergency communication with our families, familiarize ourselves about camp management, identify evacuation camps and to secure our food among others,” said Villamil.
The “Big One” being referred to is a large earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 and poses threat to people, livelihood, buildings and infrastructures, Villamil said. She said people will get severely affected “due to unsafe location, poor construction of buildings and structures, people are not aware that they can be affected and do not know exactly what to do.”
In preparation, the Office of the Civil Defense is spearheading the conduct of earthquake drills nationwide to spread greater awareness on possible scenarios in case of emergency.
“Earthquakes and tsunamis are sudden onset events with widespread impacts. The possible hazards should be imagined to craft and implement appropriate actions and for us to be prepared,” she said.
As a precautionary measure, Michael Pebenito of the Resiliency Office under the Ilocos Norte government has sought the assistance of the concerned government agencies to help them identify the exact locations of the fault lines in Ilocos Norte.
He said it would also be used for the preparation of the province’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Framework Plan.
Phivolcs has urged the public to use applications and tools that it has developed to find the fault lines nearest them. (PNA)
