THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) gears up for the conduct of a shake drill next month as part of the government’s preparation for the so-called “Big One,” a phrase used to describe a major earthquake.
Should the ‘Big One’ occur, which experts believe could happen anytime, there would be massive destructions in Metro Manila with 35,000 deaths in the first hour alone; over 100,000 injured, and results in an economic loss reaching 2.5 trillion pesos, the MMDA said.
The drill aims to inform the people about survival methods and the “do’s and dont’s” before, during, and after the tremor.
This was one of the topics that were discussed by officials of the MMDA and concerned government agencies, and local executives, during the 2nd Quarter Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting at the agency’s central office in Pasig City last Thursday.
MMDA chairman Romando Artes said it is important to continue preparing for the possibility of the arrival of “the big one” in Metro Manila. He added every sector of society should all be aware and be ready to respond to such catastrophic event.
Artes explained the drill will allow first responders and emergency personnel of the national government agencies as well as the local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices to fine-tune their respective contingency measures in case of the occurrence of the 7.2 magnitude tremor.
Experts said Metro Manila remain under threat from Valley Fault System.
The system is composed of two sections — the 10-km. East Valley Fault which covers Rodriguez and San Mateo towns in Rizal, and the 100-km West Valley Fault that passes through 42 barangays in cities of Makati, Taguig, Marikina, Pasig, Muntinlupa and Quezon City, and 30 barangays in Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that the West Valley Fault might trigger the “Big One” or a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.
Just recently, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit Calatagan town in Batangas with the tremor felt across Luzon, including Metro Manila.
The quake was caused by the movement of the Manila Trench, a major earthquake generator located offshore west of Luzon island, which is roughly parallel to the Philippine archipelago and is running from Taiwan to Occidental Mindoro, Phivolcs said.
The US Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at a depth of 112 kilometres (77 miles) at around 10:00 am (0200 GMT) in waters off Calatagan town, about three hours’ drive from the capital Manila.