The Taguig City government, in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), organized a Diplomatic Briefing on Disaster Preparedness to help embassies and international organizations in Taguig to prepare for earthquakes and other emergencies.
Diplomats and international representatives from at least 20 embassies participated in the briefing, where they received information on how to prepare for an earthquake.
Jesus Domingo, the DFA Undersecretary for Civilian Security and Consular Affairs, thanked and praised Mayor Laarni Cayetano and other local officials in Taguig for organizing the event.
Domingo gave a brief overview of the “Big One” earthquake and the West Valley Fault.
The West Valley Fault has the potential to generate a large earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2, which poses a significant threat to people’s lives, buildings, infrastructures, and livelihood.
The government has identified Taguig as one of the cities in Metro Manila that will be severely affected by a massive quake if the Valley Fault System (VFS) moves.
The VFS indicates that areas in Taguig, including Bagumbayan, Bagong Tanyag, Upper Bicutan, Central Bicutan, Lower Bicutan, Maharlika Village, Pinagsama, North Signal Village, Central Signal Village, South Signal Village, Ususan, and South Daang Hari, are situated over the West Valley Fault.
“We need to be more aware of the threats of major earthquakes to prepare for its eventuality and to reduce negative impacts. This diplomatic corps briefing will be the second in the series of awareness campaigns the Department of Foreign Affairs is conducting in cooperation with local government units,” said Usec. Domingo.
To prepare for the eventuality of an earthquake and to reduce its negative impacts, the Diplomatic Briefing included discussions on risk assessments, emergency plans, and early warning systems.
Raffy Lucas, a representative from the Office of Civil Defense, discussed risk assessment and emergency response plans. Alaine Keith De Leon from the Taguig Open Weather and Environmental Reporting System (TOWER) spoke about earthquake and weather monitoring, while Dr Luis Sy Jr. from the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office covered the city’s disaster management strategies.
Representatives from Megaworld Corporation and Bonifacio Estate Services Corporation also talked about managing private estates during emergencies.
The Diplomatic Briefing is part of the city government’s efforts to ensure the safety of its residents and the international community, aligned with its “Transformative, Lively, and Caring City” agenda.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology stated that major disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis are unpredictable, adding that people must be prepared before they happen.
“As individual persons, our safety is not solidified to national or local government. Our safety is really dependent on our awareness and preparedness during the earthquake,” the agency stated.
Mayor Cayetano assured that the local government has prepared a contingency plan in case a powerful earthquake hits the National Capital Region.