A MAGNITUDE 4.4 earthquake of tectonic origin woke residents of Antique around 4:32 a.m. on June 27. The earthquake’s epicenter was in Anini-y town but it was felt also in other towns and even as far away as Guimaras, southern Iloilo and Bacolod City in Negros Occidental. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries or property damage.
Panay Island has an active West Panay Fault Line, and it is no stranger to strong tremors. The 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake on Jan. 25, 1948 had an estimated magnitude of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The epicenter was between the municipalities of Anini-y, Antique and Dao (present-day Tobias Fornier in Antique). It was the second biggest quake on record in the country and caused widespread damage in Panay and nearby islands.
This makes preparedness for earthquakes even more important. There is a need to conduct monthly safety drills in schools and hospitals, which are critical infrastructures since these are shelters for the vulnerable — children, the sick and elderly.
We want to institutionalize monthly safety drills in all educational and healthcare facilities. But this should not be limited to schools and hospitals. Government institutions, private companies, local government units and even households should conduct regular emergency drills because these activities will help instill disaster preparedness in our citizens. Being prepared means that when a natural hazard such as an earthquake strikes, every citizen would know what to do and where to go, and that government agencies, both national and local, are ready to respond.
Aside from preparedness, another important goal is disaster prevention, which ensures zero or low casualty and less damage to properties. As part of our disaster preparedness and prevention strategies, we should regularly evaluate and retrofit buildings and critical structures, set up early warning systems and identify safe refuge for our citizens.
We continue to urge communities to take the initiative in making sure that they are well prepared and will not be caught off guard when natural hazards strike. We also will not tire of demanding from concerned government agencies the establishment of necessary mechanisms to secure our communities from the devastating effects of disasters such as earthquakes.
