ANTIQUE – Residents of this province should be ready at all times, especially since Antique is prone to earthquakes.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Broderick Train made the call following an earthquake that hit Myanmar and Thailand a week ago.
“Antique is susceptible to earthquakes because we are along the West Panay Fault and the Tablas Fault System,” Train said.
He recommended that families ready their “go bag” filled with food supplies for three days. The food stock could sustain the family while waiting for rescuers or response teams to arrive.
Owners of buildings should make sure that their structures are built in safe zones and not along fault lines.
“Building owners should make sure that they abide by the building regulations of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and of their local government units (LGUs),” Train said.
DPWH and LGUs should ensure that structures comply with the National Building Code before they issue occupancy permits.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has to strictly implement the fire safety regulations before issuing fire safety certificates.
“The public is encouraged to join earthquake drills to familiarize themselves on what to do whenever there is an earthquake,” he said.
Antique has two identified evacuation areas, the Binirayan Sports Complex and the Camp Leandro Fullon in San Jose de Buenavista, ready to cater to mass evacuation.
Antique was hit by “Lady Caycay”, one of the strongest earthquakes in Panay with a magnitude of 7.8 and its epicenter in Anini-y town in 1948. (PNA)
