“ARE WE READY?”

This was the question raised by senators as they urged all pertinent government agencies to make the necessary preparation for the so-called Big One.

Senator Francis Tolentino said it’s about time to have a more comprehensive evacuation plan in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Tolentino made the remarks amid his recent call to amend Republic Act No. 6541 or the National Building Code of the Philippines as the people of Metro Manila and nearby provinces continue to anticipate a possible 7.2-magnitude earthquake which experts believe can originate from the Marikina Valley Fault System, particularly the West Valley fault line.

The senator who used to chair the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) stressed that additional evacuation areas are needed as the population and infrastructures within NCR have multiplied in the past years and would mean possible more casualties and damages if a strong earthquake rocks the nation’s capital.

“Kung Metro Manila po ang pag uusapan, dumami na po yung sa Bonifacio Global City, dumami na po yung sa Eastwood, at nadagdagan na rin po itong nasa may Mall of Asia area, itong reclaimed areas. At least madagdagan pa ng dalawang malawakang evacuation center,” said Tolentino on Tuesday during an interview with GMA-7’s Unang Hirit.

When he was chairman of MMDA, Tolentino spearheaded the regular conduct of the metro-wide ‘shake drill’ as well as the ‘Oplan Metro Yakal’ to prepare the public on what to do during strong earthquakes, minimizing casualties and injuries.

Tolentino’s ‘Oplan Metro Yakal’ aims to institutionalize an effective system of earthquake disaster preparedness, response, and evacuation plan in NCR for a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that can originate from the West Valley Fault.

Based on the study conducted by MMDA and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 2004, many structures in the greater Manila Area would not be able to withstand the possible catastrophic destructions that can be brought by ‘The Big One.’

The senator earlier renewed his call to strengthen the current 50-year-old Building Code and update its existing provisions to help ensure the structural resiliency of establishments should a destructive earthquake–similar to the one in Turkey and Syria–hits Metro Manila and other provinces in the country.

For his part, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla jr. who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Works hearing Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, on the structural integrity of buildings and infrastructures, asks whether the government and the general public are ready in case an earthquake of high magnitude will hit the country.

Revilla said that while the country cannot prevent an earthquake from occurring, “we can prevent its damage.”

Revilla said Senate Resolution no.s 67, which he filed, and SR 150, filed by Senator Ronald Bato dela Rosa seek an immediate audit and review of all buildings and structures and their compliance with the National Building Code.

This code, Revilla said also needs review because it was filed 50 years ago.

“The warning signs are there, the Big One is forthcoming. It is scary. But there is no harm in preparing for the worst,” Revilla said.

Senator Raffy Tulfo for his part underscores the urgency to pass the National Land Use Act to provide long-term safeguards to communities against natural and man-made calamities in the wake of the powerful earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.

Tulfo pointed out that the passage of the measure will ensure the right identification of high-risk and danger-prone locations in communities.

“We are along the Ring of Fire and the length of the West Valley Fault System slices through the length of Metro Manila which is a ticking timebomb and standing above it are our homes, offices, schools, and hospitals.

The experts have already warned us and we can only blame ourselves if we don’t start preparing now,” Tulfo stressed during the hearing.