ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo International Airport main building and tower in Cabatuan, Iloilo was built to withstand Intensity 9 earthquake, according to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Iloilo Terminal Supervisor Art Parreño.
Parreño, in an interview following series of earthquake incidences recorded in Panay and Guimaras by the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology on Monday, said the building was made using Japanese technology.
The airport consists of three buildings: the check-in area, the one where elevator going to the third floor is located, and the arrival area.
“Seemingly they look like one building. When there is shaking, then it is not the entire building,” he said.
Parreño was at the final X-ray at the third floor of the building when the first occurrence was felt at 7:45 a.m. Passengers were immediately instructed “not to panic and everything goes normal.”
During the third occurrence at around 10:54 a.m., he was informed that an almost half-a-kilo LED lamp fell from the ceiling of the building and hit one flight stewardess bound for General Santos City.
The victim, Flora Villaruz, 39, of Philippine Airlines suffered an abrasion. She was immediately given medical attention, he added.
Amid the incident, Parreño said that operations remained normal.
“After the earthquake, I immediately gathered my personnel for them to be aware of the procedure that it is our obligation to lead the evacuation,” Parreño said.
In case the aftershocks would persist, he said they will shut down the elevator and janitorial personnel will take the lead towards the evacuation area.
Parreño said the airport security committee convened at 2 p.m. to discuss the needed preparations in case there will be aftershocks.
“We have to stay cool, relax and follow instructions. Under our procedure, there will be an announcement and the janitorial service will be guiding towards the right path for the exit route to the evacuation area outside of the terminal building. If they panic then everything goes wrong,” he said.
The first quake has a 4.7 magnitude with an epicenter located in San Jose, Antique.
The second tremor has a magnitude 4 with an epicenter located in Sibunag, Guimaras at 7:46 a.m. while the third occurrence with a 4.8 magnitude was at 10:54 am with epicenter at Guimbal, Iloilo.
Thereafter, a series of five occurrences were further recorded with the epicenters located in Leon, Iloilo.
Alletha Nogra, chief of the Civil Defense Western Visayas Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division, said since the tremors were tectonic in origin, then one of the triggering factors could be the active West Panay Fault.
The West Panay Fault passes through portions of Antique, Iloilo province, Iloilo City Capiz and Aklan. (Perla Lena/PNA)
