ILOILO City – The city government partnered with the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS) to spread awareness on the hazards of earthquakes and how to survive them.
The collaboration resulted in two books on seismic risk assessment and city-building portfolio exposure databases which were officially launched on Aug. 18 at the City Hall Penthouse. These aim to highlight safe building standards and quick recovery from destructive earthquakes.
Volume 1 contains the Iloilo City Earthquake Model: Event-Based Probabilistic Seismic Risk Assessment (ICEM-EBPSRA) Technical Report, while Volume 2 contains the Iloilo City Buildings Portfolio: Exposure Database 2015-2022.
The books identify which buildings may be affected and the estimated monetary loss for each asset and for each community considered.
The city government’s Public Information Office also released a brochure titled “Hilway sa peligro bala ang akon balay? (How Safe is My House?)” that offers information on how safe a house is and how to keep it secure during disasters.
There is also a “public exhibit” at the Office of the Building Official (OBO) of the said information materials that will further enable stakeholders and concerned citizens to appreciate and understand the information and recommendations.
According to Engr. Henry Peñarubia, PHIVOLCS’ research specialist, these information materials provide valuable tools and data that will serve as guide to communities, the construction and insurance industries, and government organizations especially in designing earthquake resilient structures.
“Most of our heritage buildings hindi naka-adopt sa current structural design… Pwede siyang i-retrofit based on the actual hazard that we know sa panahon ngayon, so pwede ma-improve ang structural capacity niya,” said Peñarubia.
The city government printed a total of 10,000 copies of the books that will be distributed to barangays and schools with engineering courses.
Mayor Jerry Treñas believes the private sector as well as the engineering and insurance industries will make informed decisions in advancing earthquake preparedness and risk management.
DOST-PHIVOLCS director Teresito C. Bacolcol, meanwhile, stressed that disaster preparedness is not just a business of PHILVOLCS or City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO). He emphasized that it is everyone’s collective duty to prepare – from individuals to families and from local government to the national government.
“If we compare our awareness now from 20 years ago, we are more aware now than before,” said Bacolcol, citing the presence of social media which can quickly spread information.
However, he warned that with the proliferation of fake news, the public should learn to know and filter the correct information by following the government agencies’ social media pages.
One of the strongest earthquakes that hit Iloilo was the Lady Caycay in 1948. The possibility that it will happen again is always there, Bacolcol stressed, citing the active West Panay Fault. However, he added, it has to be studied first to know its recurrence interval.
Aside from West Panay Fault, Bacolcol said other sources of earthquake that may also affect Iloilo are the Negros Trench and Philippine Fault in Central Visayas./PN
