The public must brace for an earthquake whether it is triggered by an exposed or a hidden fault line, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said Wednesday.
Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the public must always be prepared from any eventuality of a strong or weak fault that causes an earthquake.
He made his statement even as a climate expert called the LGUs for the strict implementation of climate change and disaster resistant plans and designs in building high-rise structures.
Amid the threats looming from natural disasters, a climate expert appealed to local government units to be more strict in approving the construction of high-rise structures in their respective cities or municipalities.
Glenn Banaguas, one of the country’s leading climate change scientists, says the LGUs should be in the forefront of ensuring that high-rise structures are safe and will pose no threats to the population, especially during times of natural calamities like super typhoons and strong earthquakes.
”As a recent Harvard Humanitarian Initiative survey showed very low levels of earthquake preparedness planning, especially among the less educated Filipinos, HHI finds the need for disaster risk reduction and management officials to ensure that information on earthquakes are accessible and comprehensible to all.
“Timely access to disaster information is essential as are the plans for what to do in the event of an earthquake,” HHI Resilient Communities Program Director Vincenzo Bollettino said in a statement.
“Filipinos should be aware of the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s guidelines on disaster preparedness and acquaint themselves with evacuation routes, evacuation shelter locations and should have emergency kits prepared.”
Solidum cited the presence of a hidden fault beneath the surface of a location in crafting the National Building Code.
“Let us always consider the importance of structural readiness when it comes to the shaking of the earth. Because of such, there are faults that are hidden, which we should take into account as far as the National Building Code is concerned,” Solidum said.
“That is the reason why we are always telling [the people] that we should focus not only on the fault itself. Secondly, we should look into the shaking of the earth that our houses should always be prepared for.”
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