Last June 7, the southernmost region of Mindanao experienced a magnitude 7.8 earthquake, which struck offshore with its epicenter situated 32 kilometers west of Maasim, Sarangani. Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr., emphasized that Metro Manila could potentially face a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.
In a radio interview, Solidum indicated that the magnitude 7.8 earthquake is not anticipated to arise from the West Valley Fault. Instead, experts consider a magnitude 7.2 earthquake as the most significant potential threat, often labeled as “The Big One” in Metro Manila.
Solidum elaborated that the distinction lies in the fact that the epicenter of the Mindanao earthquake was offshore, which is the reason only a limited number of areas experienced intense shaking.
The earthquake in Sarangani, which occurred at a depth of 33 kilometers, is attributed to subduction along the Cotabato Trench. It resulted in destructive ground shaking, rated at PEIS VII (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Earthquake Intensity Scale) in General Santos City, and quakes were felt as far as Abuyog and Dulag in Leyte.
In addition to earthquakes, the Philippines is susceptible to various natural disasters. For example, it regularly faces typhoons and tropical storms, especially during the rainy season, which can result in severe flooding and landslides.
Typically, the country encounters up to 20 tropical cyclones annually. However, in recent years, the occurrence of more intense typhoons has increased, a trend attributed to climate change.
“Climate change is expected to lead to more intense typhoons, higher sea levels, and storm surges,” said the World Bank report, Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts and the Case for Resilience.
The Philippines also hosts numerous active volcanoes, which can result in catastrophic eruptions that bury communities and cause extensive damage. Floods, the most common type of natural disaster, occur when water overflows and inundates land that is typically dry. This threat is often intensified by heavy rainfall and storm surges.
Landslides – that movement of rock, debris, or earth down a slope – can happen during periods of heavy rainfall, particularly in hilly regions, leading to abrupt and hazardous collapses.
But the question is: How? That’s where disaster preparedness comes. As one government official puts it: “There is no better way of protecting our people from floods, slides and other hazards brought by typhoons than making them aware and ready on what to do when these situations arise.”
“Every year, between 600 and 800 natural disasters occur, some small and localized, others affecting several countries and many thousands of people,” writes Bob Hansford, disaster risk management advisor at Tearfund, a Christian relief and development agency.
Disasters often recur in the same place – annually or with a gap of some years. In 1972, Central Luzon was inundated due to four storms – in July to August – that hit the region. When Typhoons Pedring and Quiel visited Central Luzon, the region was again flooded.
In his article, “Managing disaster and building safer communities,” Hansford talks about the four things that happen when a disaster strikes: emergency response, rehabilitation, mitigation, and preparation.
“In the first few days and weeks after a disaster, there is a need for search and rescue, medical care, food, water, sanitation and shelter, as well as emotional support,” explains what an emergency response is.
Rehabilitation comes next. “As the weeks pass, houses need to be repaired, water supplies restored, and livelihoods reinstated,” Hansford says. “Rehabilitation is often called recovery.”
Mitigation is closely linked to rehabilitation. Examples include stronger or raised houses, water pumps on raised platforms, alternative crops to cope better with flood or drought. “Mitigation activities help to ‘build back better,’ making the community more resistant to future hazards,” he says.
Preparation is getting ready for the next disaster that comes. For a storm or flood, it means establishing a warning system, setting aside food or water stocks, making ready an evacuation center or training volunteers.
Dr. Esguerra, who is with the Philippine Coast Guard Medical Service, handles air medical evacuation, remote and wilderness rescue. He also conducts training – if and when needed. “I usually handle the difficult advance life support interventions,” he says.
In some of the training he conducted, he found out that there are quite a number of rescue teams who were ill-trained and ill-equipped. “They don’t have many safety inductions,” says Dr. Esguerra, who is a member of the World Association of Disaster and Emergency Medicine and International Disaster Response Network. “And to think of it, they are performing high-end operations.”
When asked on how Filipinos can respond to disasters, Dr. Esguerra replies: “Filipinos should make it like a part of their lives. They should be like Japanese who are always prepared; in fact, they have some survival kits which have already become a part of their day-to-day activities.”
To be disaster-equipped, Dr. Esguerra suggests that rescuers be trained to follow the 6 S’s (security, safety, survival concepts, “sentido komon” or common sense, scientific, and systematic.) and T’s (tribal skills but technologically supported, tactical and technical, and tough yet tender).
Although there are claims that Filipinos are resilient when it comes to disasters, he dispels the myth.
“We have to be like the Japanese who know they are sitting on the top of a volcano or Israelis who are surrounded by potential enemies,” Dr. Esguerra suggests. “After all, we are along the disaster and accident corridor. We need to have all the knowledge (of all potential disasters) and the readiness (should these disasters come).”
Filipinos should have this kind of thinking and attitude. Lucille L. Sering, when she was the Commissioner and Vice Chairperson of the Climate Change Commission (CCC), puts it this way: “Based on the study, climate change clearly poses a threat to human survival. It foretells the submergence of coastal communities due to sea-level rise. It also projects the occurrence of frequent and stronger typhoons, and of prolonged, intense heat in the summers and heavy rains and flooding during the rainy season.
“It also tells of the dire consequences of these natural catastrophes to human habitation, food supply, the degradation of ecosystem services and eventual extinction of some species. This clearly shows that climate change is a development issue that threatens the gains and economic development attained in past decades.”
Meanwhile, Solidum emphasizes to the public that the most effective defense against earthquakes is thorough preparation—making certain that new constructions adhere to building codes and that existing structures are assessed to determine if they require retrofitting, reinforcement, or complete condemnation.
“If it is determined that it won’t collapse and actually complies with the building code, the most dangerous elements then are the parts or fixtures of the building, or furniture, that could topple over or shatter and cause injury or death. That is why we advise people to “duck” or “drop, cover, and hold”—to take shelter in a safe place under a table or in a corner where nothing can fall on them,” he said.
He further stated that this approach is the safest option, as individuals inside a building or home during seismic activity, particularly on upper floors, may find it impossible to move during intense shaking.
