Three government agencies are developing plans for Metro Manila and nearby provinces to prepare for “The Big One”—a major earthquake.
Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. recently met with officials of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) to discuss contingency plans and agreed to intensify disaster and emergency response to earthquakes and other calamities in Metro Manila and surrounding areas.
The three agencies also agreed to implement a simultaneous earthquake drill, which will feature the absence of electricity, water, and telecommunication signals to prepare for the expected magnitude 7.2 earthquake caused by the West Valley Fault and tsunami.
Artes said they are also planning to construct the MMDA Disaster Response Training Center in Carmona, Cavite to raise public awareness of disaster preparedness and emergency rescue measures.
If the “Big One” occurs, experts believe it will happen anytime and there will be massive destruction in Metro Manila, with 35,000 deaths occurring in the first hour alone, over 100,000 injured, and an economic loss of 2.5 trillion pesos.
The drill aims to inform the public about survival methods and the “do’s and don’ts” before, during, and after the disaster.
Artes emphasized the importance of continuing to prepare for the possibility of the “Big One” in Metro Manila and encouraged every sector of society to be aware and ready to respond to such catastrophic events.
Experts warn that Metro Manila remains under threat from the Valley Fault System, which is composed of two sections: the 10-km East Valley Fault covering Rodriguez and San Mateo towns in Rizal, and the 100-km West Valley Fault passing through 42 barangays in Makati, Taguig, Marikina, Pasig, Muntinlupa, and Quezon City, as well as 30 barangays in Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology warned that the West Valley Fault might trigger a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.