Mindanao will experience rainy weather due to the prevailing intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Light to moderate rain showers are expected over Davao Region, CARAGA and Northern Mindanao. The remaining parts of the country may expect possible thunderstorm formation today.
As the metropolis gears up for the largest earthquake drill to be held in the National Capital Region today, PAGASA forecasts partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated thunderstorms in the following hours.
In order to make citizens aware of what to do when a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Metro Manila occurs, as a result West Valley Fault’s movement, Panahon TV released tips and guidelines.
Know more here:
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is in need of 8,000 volunteers for the Metro Manila Rescue Volunteers Corps to be deployed in case of earthquake. The group’s primary commitment is to serve as additional manpower to the existing 6,000 MMDA rescuers.
Eligible volunteers must be 18 years old and above and willing to undergo a three-day earthquake response and rescue training facilitated by the MMDA. Volunteers must be physically fit to fulfill search and rescue duties if and when the West Valley Fault moves. Volunteers will be grouped according to expertise and will be coached by batch of 30s.
Students whose families live in provinces that will not be affected by The Big One and those who live in the University Belt are encouraged to join the corps.
Aspirants will be screened by MMDA upon filling out the form at www.bepreparedmetromanila.com/ .
The Philippines lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire where the most number of volcanic and seismic activities are recorded. Provinces at risk to earthquakes include Surigao Del Sur, La Union, Benguet, Pangasinan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Ifugao, Davao Oriental, Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Ecija. But the Greater Metro Manila Area (GMMA) is no exemption to tremors due to the Valley Fault System that may generate a quake with a magnitude of 7.2 –as powerful as 63 Hiroshima atomic bombs. To prevent casualties and damage to properties, here is what we need to know.
Being Quake Ready
1. Check your house for hazards for earthquakes and other secondary threats such as landslides, flooding, liquefaction and fires. If your house is erected within the 5-meter buffer zone from each side of the fault line, it is best to transfer to a safer place.
2. Make sure that your house is structurally sound.
3. Assemble your own Bug Out Bag.
4. Have a printed copy of the emergency hotlines.
5. Participate in office, school and community drills.
6. Hold occasional drills at home with the entire family.
7. Cascade emergency plans to your family. It is important to decide how, where and when to meet after an earthquake.
8. Turn off water, electricity and gas when not in use.
9. Know how to give first aid and Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).
Protecting Yourself During a Quake
1. Stay calm but be alert and keep your eyes open.
2. When inside a structure, do the Duck, Cover and Hold.
3. If no sturdy table is around, go against an interior foundation wall and cover your head with your arms. Remember to move away from objects that may fall, break, explode and cause electrocution.
4. If inside a movie house or a stadium, stay in your seat and cover your head with your arms.
5. When in a crowded building, do not rush for exits and stay away from falling debris.
6. When in a wheelchair, stay in it, lock your wheels and protect your head.
7. If you’re outdoors, move to an area away from posts, trees, buildings, electrical wires and poles.
8. When driving, move to the side of the road and stop.
9. If near the shore, go to higher grounds with your bug out bag.
After the Quake
1. If inside a structure, safely and calmly exit to avoid stampede. Use the stairs instead of elevators. Proceed to areas clear of falling and collapsing objects.
2. Do a headcount of your family and check for injuries. If someone has serious injuries, do not attempt to move him and call for medical assistance.
3. If trapped inside a building, wave a handkerchief or any cloth in the window to signal rescue. If you have whistles, use it. If there is no any window, stay in a safe area and do not touch any damaged appliance.
4. If outdoors, do not cross bridges, flyovers and tunnels. Do not enter damaged buildings.
5. When inside a car, park in the nearest place clear of falling debris and tall structures.
6. If it’s already safe, check for fire hazards, damaged utilities, wired telephone lines, and structural aspects in your house. If damages occur, evacuate and do not re-enter until proper repairs are done.
7. Wear gloves, facemask, boots or shoes when cleaning leakages. Stay away from fallen power lines and the possible conductors near them.
Do not walk in barefoot while checking the house.
8. Be prepared for aftershocks by knowing where to duck, cover and hold. Aftershocks may happen hours, days, weeks and even months after the main shock.
9. Get involved in community post-disaster plans and projects.
Because we live in an archipelago often frequented by cyclones and quakes, preparedness should be part of our lifestyle. That’s why it’s wise to devote a few hours of assembling Bug Out Bags with the family on a laidback weekend.
A Bug Out Bag (BOB) is a handy survival kit that contains our necessities in times of emergency. It is also called Go Bag, Grab Bag or Bailout Bag. This usually consists of supplies that will help you survive the first three days when trapped in a building or moved to an evacuation site, especially when problems occur during rescue and relief operations.
Water and Food Supply
Our body and vital organs need hydration to transport nutrients and eliminate waste. Over 72 hours with no water intake may lead to death. Each member of the family should have at least 3 liters of water in their BOB.
When choosing BOB food, go for the non-perishable, lightweight, less salty and ready-to-eat food items. Having a detailed supply list, including their expiration dates, will be helpful as you quarterly check the contents of your BOB.
Important items also include a can opener, Swiss knife, tumbler, plastic container and enough number of sporks.
First Aid and Hygiene
A First Aid Kit is helpful in dealing with minor injuries and illnesses. This should have the following:
- plasters in different sizes and shapes
- sterile gauze dressings
- triangular bandages
- safety pins
- disposable gloves
- tweezers
- scissors
- cleansing wipes
- thermometer
- antiseptic cream
- Povidone iodine
- painkillers
- aspirin
- Ibuprofen
- cough medicines
- antihistamine
- eye wash
- insect repellant
- thermal blanket
It’s best to create a list indicating the product’s use, expiry date, and other necessary instructions. Practicing how to use the bandages and other medical tools is also advisable.
Wet wipes, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, toothpaste and toothbrush, hypoallergenic soap, towels and other bathing needs should be put in a separate pouch.
Clothing
The choice of clothing should be based on the current season.
The basic set of clothing includes long sleeves, pants, shorts, socks, underwear, shirts, handkerchiefs and raincoats. Remember to pack clothes that will suffice for 3 days. Remember to put the clothes in a plastic bag first before packing it in your BOBs.
Other Contents
Other important things to put inside your BOB are flashlights with extra batteries, power bank, whistle, sleeping bag, rope, plastic bags and extra money.
After preparing your BOB, place it in an accessible, cool and dry place at home. You may also put one in the trunk of the car, in your office or school. Reiterate to the entire family that BOBs should only be used during emergency.
In preparation for the possible movement of the Valley Fault System that may jolt the Greater Metro Manila Area (GMMA) within this lifetime, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has identified evacuation camps and centers across the metropolis.
Metro Manila is divided into four quadrants for better evacuation and rescue operations among residents. Operation centers and staging areas that will serve as evacuation camps are also pointed out in the contingency plan of MMDA.
Athletic fields, memorial parks, sports arenas, churches and gymnasiums of Local Government Units (LGU’s) will also be used as evacuation centers in the Metro Manila and nearby cities and provinces. Pasig River will also serve as an alternate route for rescue and relief personnel in the event that bridges in the capital city are destroyed by the huge quake.
The earthquake, projected in having a 7.2 magnitude may collapse 500,000 houses and damage over 300 buildings. According to studies done by PHIVOLCS and other agencies, the West Valley Fault’s 100-kilometer length traverses through Rizal, Marikina, Quezon City, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Muntinlupa and Laguna. Moreover, 35% of the population inhabiting the said areas lives right above this fault line.
Though predictions are alarming, they do not aim to cause panic. The warnings are meant to properly prepare the public in case the earthquake occurs. Though no machine can predict when this hazard will strike, in this lifetime or in the next, it’s still best to be ready than not, because the human cost of this quake is far too heavy to ignore.
On May 18, 2015, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) launched Atlas, the detailed map of the active faults traversing the Greater Metro Manila Area (GMMA) and nearby provinces. This handbook with 33 map sheets was also distributed to city planners and local government officials from cities and towns crossed by the Valley Fault System (VFS) to help them draft more comprehensive emergency plans and proper zoning ordinances.
VFS includes the West and the East Valley Faults. The West Valley Fault is approximately 100 kilometers long and can generate a 7.2 magnitude quake in densely populated cities. This is as catastrophic as the quakes that shook Nepal just a month ago and Bohol in 2013.
The West Valley Fault spans from Bulacan to Cavite. According to studies, it moved four times in the last 1,400 years with an interval of 200 to 400 years. Its last recorded earthquake was in 1658 or 357 years ago, making its next movement possible in this lifetime. And if this happens, over 34,000 people may perish, 100,000 people may be injured, and an additional 18,000 lives will be at risk due to fire incidents. With a projection of P2.3 trillion cost of damage, it is indeed the greatest threat that can paralyze not only our capital city, but also the entire nation.
AREAS TRAVERSED BY THE WEST VALLEY FAULT:
• Bulacan (Doña Remedios, Trinidad, Norzagaray, San Jose del Monte)
• Rodriguez, Rizal
• Marikina
• Quezon City
• Pasig
• Taguig
• Makati
• Muntinlupa
• Laguna (San Pedro, Biñan, Sta. Rosa, Cabuyao, Calamba)
• Cavite (Carmona, General Mariano Alvarez, Silang)
Meanwhile, the East Valley Fault, which transects the municipalities of Rodriguez and San Mateo in Rizal Province, can generate a jolting 6.2 quake.
Metro Manila was divided into 22 scale maps and uses 1:5,000. On the other hand, Laguna and Cavite with 10 map sheets use 1:10,000, while Bulacan with one map sheet uses 1:50,000. These maps pinpoint the location of active faults, fissures, and the overlapping of both, whether or not they are covered by man-made or natural obstructions.
The atlas can be viewed and downloaded from the official website of PHIVOLCS.
Watch the video below to know how we can prepare for major quakes:
Sendai, Japan – After marathon meetings and negotiations at the 3rd United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), the HFA 2.0 or Hyogo Framework of Action for 2015-2030 was released on March 18, 2015. This is the revised document from the initial HFA that proposed DRR methods on a global scale, originally drafted in 2005.
The 5-day conference, held once every decade, was attended by world leaders from multi-sectors such as governments, non-government organizations, media, women’s groups, people with disabilities, private sectors, children and youth.
The HFA 2.0 addresses 4 priorities:
Priority 1: Understanding disaster risk
Priority 2: Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk
Priority 3: Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience
Priority 4: Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response, and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction
The HFA has 7 global targets :
1. a substantial reduction in global disaster mortality
2. a substantial reduction in numbers of affected people
3. a reduction in economic losses in relation to global GDP
4. substantial reduction in disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, including health and education facilities
5. an increase in the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies by 2020
6. enhanced international cooperation
7. increased access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessments.
Building Resilience
This framework comes four years after the Great East Asia Earthquake in Japan. As one of the hardest hit areas of the tragedy that claimed 20,000 lives, the city of Sendai has shown the world their resilience through recovery efforts. Proof of this is their successful hosting of the conference with over 10,000 attendees.
However, in areas where the tsunami occurred, it would still take years for their complete rehabilitation. With soil drenched by salt water from the sea, agriculture in these areas was not possible at the moment.
Current recovery efforts included building better roads, elevating them by three meters as protection against tsunami.
Affected communities were relocated by their original clusters, which allowed residents to still live in close proximity with neighbors after transferring to safer areas.
Philippine contingents contribute to HFA
With the Philippines being of one the most disaster-prone countries, Filipino representatives at the conference significantly contributed to the drafting of the HFA 2.0.
Their input comprised of the following:
Inclusion of the elderly in policy making. Aside from the fact that the elderly have had years of experience on disasters, their participation will also allow the framework to develop DRR methods that consider their welfare.
Inclusion of the indigenous people. With traditional knowledge built by years of living in close contact with nature, the indigenous sector is a valuable contributor to the development of climate adaptation and disaster resiliency.
Highlighting the role of migrants. Migrants will also assist communities and societies in the structural design and implementation of DRR efforts.
Utilizing the sectors of the academe, science and research. These entities shall be focusing on disaster risk factors and scenarios, as well as emerging hazard risks in medium and long-term periods, in both regional and national levels—a wealth of information that can aid policy-makers.
Linkage with business, professional associations and private sectors. Doing so will be able to sustain DRR efforts. These sectors shall be integrating DRR in their business models to promote resiliency and continuous sustainable development of communities.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) also shared their multi-hazard tool called Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards), which highlights maps that identify areas prone to floods and storm surges. Dr. Mahar Lagmay introduced WebSafe, a newly developed tool that provides visualization of the possible extent of a disaster and its impact to the people.
A national framework on Comprehensive School Safety, which incorporated disaster management in the school curriculum, was discussed by Education Assistant Secretary Laguda. The framework includes activities related to the arts, music and play, which students can share with family members.
Climate Change Commissioner Lucille Sering explained the importance of the Eco-town framework being done in the Philippines. This is a local implementation mechanism of the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) that gives direction to sustainable economic growth from 2011 to 2028. Through Eco-town, municipalities in areas most vulnerable to climate risks are given methods on mitigation and prevention.
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman, who led the Philippine delegation, said in an exclusive interview with Panahon TV, “Napakahalaga ng conference na ito dahil nangyayari lamang ito every ten years. Yung mapagkakayarian, magiging batayan ng kilos, pagtulong at pakikipagtrabaho para babaan ang risko,” (This conference is really important because it only happens every ten years. And what will be agreed on this will be our new guidelines in implementing the revised framework for reducing risks.)
Children and Youth
As the HFA 2.0 paved the way on how countries could unite in addressing DRR, the children and youth sector also actively participated in the conference through the Children and Youth Forum, where they presented practical and innovative solutions for DRR.
Conference Highlights
During the conference, Cyclone Pam with category-5 strength, devastated the Pacific Island nation, Vanuatu. President Baldwin Lonsdale appealed to the international community for support.
With over a hundred forums in the famed “City of Trees,” the conference also included the private sector, whose resources and expertise were considered crucial to DRR.
Meteorological organizations, headed by the World Meteorological Organization, presented global figures on weather and climate, as well as new policies and technologies. Meanwhile, various sectors also introduced new applications of technologies in the fields of communication, automotive, construction, and health in exhibitions and at the BOSAI Fair.
Media waiting for HFA 2.0
With reports from Donna Lina-Flavier and George Gamayo
Photos by Garrie David
In Sendai, Japan where nation leaders and representatives gathered for the 3rd United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Philippine Climate Change Commissioner Lucille Sering shared the climate change law in our country, stating that weather changes and climate extremes that include heat, heavy precipitation, droughts and storm surges, make more Filipinos vulnerable to risk exposure. “In 2020, dry season will become drier and wet season will become wetter,” Sering explained.
According to the Stern Review recommendations, countries must allocate at least 2% of its GDP to implement climate action. But in Sering’s report, only 0.3% was allocated in the Philippines, not enough to address climate-related needs. However, she said that government willingness for appropriations was relatively increasing.
Sering also emphasized the role of Land Use Planning in DRR and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA), which covers prohibiting development in certain areas, classifying areas affected by climate change, regulating zoning plans with legally binding status, and hazard modification.
“There is a strong synergy, we see that in the country,” Sering enthused as she shared the country’s experiences on catastrophic events that shook the Philippines in recent years.
Meanwhile, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman chaired the discussion on Preparedness for Disaster Response. This highlighted effective national and local DRR lifelines in five states, covering timely coordination, capacity building and cross-boarder response. Feedback from participants included contingency plans for education during calamities and disaster prevention, and prioritizing pilot projects in the most vulnerable communities.
During the session’s closing, Soliman stated that there must be consideration for the indigenous people, persons with disability, senior citizens, children in all the DRR initiatives. “There are many experiences of disasters around the globe, but there are many pockets of hope that attest to the power of human resiliency. Our discussions today served to reinforce this value so that even the least powerful can be strong even when disasters strike,” Soliman said.
The Philippine Youth Contingents
More than 250 comprised the world youth delegation in the conference. Fifteen from these are Filipinos—ten self-funded and five sponsored delegates.
One of the self-funded delegates is Quin Cruz who flew all the way from Pasig City. “Nakikita ko na palagi nating ginagamit ‘yung youth doon sa relief operation, yung volunteerism nila sa pagbibigay ng relief goods, pero marami pa pala pwedeng pasukan ang youth patungkol sa emergency response, recovery at preparedness. Marami pa palang aspeto na puwede nating pag-aralan kung puwede tayong magkaroon ng knowledge management, ng innovation, ng education para magamit yung underutilized power ng youth na maging part ng tutulong sa Disaster Risk Reduction.” (I noticed the youth usually gets involved during relief operations. But there are a lot of opportunities for us to help in emergency response, recovery and preparedness. There are many aspects that we can get involved in to widen our knowledge on management and innovation, and to utilize the youth’s capacity to help in Disaster Risk Reduction initiatives.)
All public forums are open for the youth contingents. As part of their closing ceremony yesterday, a special working session was dedicated to them entitled “Children and Youth: Don’t decide on my future without me.” This forum highlighted the youth’s rights and importance in DRR activities.
Sendai, Japan – Multi-sectoral groups continued to review the various inputs for the updated Hyogo Framework of Action, a framework document proposing Disaster Risk Reduction techniques for many countries, at the 3rd United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).
Today, the outputs of the framework will be presented at the closing ceremony of the conference.
Global Broadcasters participate in DRR
Given their crucial role in delivering timely information to billions of people, four broadcasting unions pledged to push for greater involvement in DRR. These include the African Union of Broadcasting, the Arab States Broadcasting Union, the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and the European Broadcasting Union.
“We want to raise awareness,” said Giacome Mazzone, Head of Institutional Relations of the European Broadcasting Union. “It’s about the link between policy decisions and actions on the ground.”
“In order to fulfil the media’s immense potential as an information disseminator and powerful behaviour changer, the media would like to be accepted, not as a mere messenger, but a partner in developing and implementing DRR policies at regional, national and local levels, and also help dismantling the silos in which most stakeholders work at the moment,” they said.
Besides trying to create a “common language” between institutions, experts and the media, they believe that it is also important to promote “disaster literacy” among the public.
Earlier this week, Broadcasters held a parallelel meeting at the Global News Forum.
Children and youth
At the Children and Youth Presentation, representatives shared their recommendations on how they can participate in DRR activities. This includes implementing programs that are creative and engaging through the arts, music and play. They also had a parallel conference discussing inputs to be included in the second version of the Hyogo Framework of Action.