A University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) expert stressed the importance of science-driven disaster preparedness, saying earthquakes cannot be predicted and should be treated as an inevitable part of life in the Philippines, being located along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.
Dr. Decibel Faustino-Eslava, geologist and dean of the UPLB School of Environmental Science and Management (SESAM), underscored that continuous awareness and preparedness are key to reducing disaster risks.
“It is natural in our region, a reality that we should have long accepted so that our decisions and preparedness are aligned in that situation,” she said.
The Philippines is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, including the region from East Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Russia, and the west coast of the United States.
Eslava emphasized that because the country has active fault lines and an earthquake cannot be predicted, people need to be always ready for the possibility of earthquakes.
“Because of this geographical reality, we need to learn how to adapt,” she said.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey Perez, geologist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said the West Valley Fault (WVF) has moved four times in the past 1,400 years, with movement intervals of 400 to 600 years. The last major earthquake from the valley fault was in 1658.
“The West Valley Fault has been accumulating strain for about 357 years. It could move before it reaches 400 years; it could also occur within 600 years—it may happen in our generation or the next,” Perez said.
“What we are saying in Phivolcs is that we need to be prepared. We don’t want to cause alarm. What we are saying is, let’s use the term ‘ripe.’ But we still cannot predict when it will happen,” he added.
Eslava highlighted the importance of designing houses and infrastructure that can withstand natural phenomena. She also emphasized conducting regular earthquake drills to help people know where to go during an earthquake, to reduce panic and minimize disasters.
In Calabarzon, local government units are conducting infrastructure assessments of school buildings and other facilities to ensure structural integrity.
Meanwhile, Dr. Eslava shared that UPLB is taking initiatives to reassess the integrity of campus buildings, revive evacuation drills and safety protocols.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Council has also urged local government units to strengthen earthquake preparedness and contingency plans and to conduct large-scale earthquake drills focusing on public facilities, including schools, government offices, and places of mass gathering.
