City of San Fernando – In light of the recent earthquakes, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Director Renato U. Solidum Jr. yesterday alerted public officials of Pampanga deeming the possible impacts of “The Big One” (earthquake) due to the West Valley Fault.
This was gleaned during the Multi-Hazard Disaster Summit in observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month held at Kingsborough International Convention Center, here.
According to Solidum, the Philippines ranks 3rd among countries prone to natural disasters and has areas that are considered high risk.
“Natural disasters are out of our control but on how we get affected by these disasters is in our control,” Solidum said.
Citing their recent earthquake simulation, the Phivolcs director said that the south eastern part of Pampanga is likely to experience a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.
Solidum appealed to the 505 barangay captains of the province to prepare for a powerful earthquake and to devise contingency plans to minimize the damaging effects in their respective areas.
He also encouraged the attendees to use the PHIVOLCS Fault Finder application to determine possible active faults in their area that will be useful for risk assessment, disaster reduction plan and awareness.
“Preparedness starts from an individual. If an individual is prepared for any disaster then the more we can save lives,” he stressed. — Ma. Reina Len Luna