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| 7.2 Magnitude 1991 Earthquake Baguio City Hyatt Terraces |
The Philippines is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world. Aside from being visited by an average of 20 cyclones a year, the country is also located in the Pacific Ring of Fire. That area that is both seismically and volcanically active. Thus the Philippines has been the site of the worst earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the 20th century, those being the July 16, 1990 earthquake and the 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption.
In the National Capital Region (NCR), home to 13 million people, the possibility of an earthquake of at least magnitude 7.2 is now a question of when. Metro Manila is susceptible to the movement of two fault systems, the West Valley Fault and the East Valley Fault. The West Valley Fault is the longest and most extensive of the fault systems. It traverses Bulacan, Rizal Metro Manila all the way to Laguna and Cavite.
The West Valley Fault has been recorded to “move” every 100 years. The last movement was recorded in 1883. That is why the next movement has been way overdue. In this backdrop, the vulnerabilities of the metropolis and its huge population have been recognized. In 2004, the Metropolitan Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study or MMEIRS was then conducted.
Earthquake Scenario:
Based on the damage estimation by MMEIRS Study of the potential rupture of the West Valley Fault, approximately 40% of the total number of residential buildings within Metropolitan Manila will collapse or be affected. This building collapse directly affects large numbers of people, since it is estimated to cause 34,000 deaths and 114,000 injuries. Moreover, additional 18,000 deaths are anticipated by the fire spreading after the earthquake event. This human loss, together with properties and economy losses of Metropolitan Manila will be a national crisis.
It is then the objective of the MMEIRS Study to find a way to head off this scenario by undertaking a comprehensive preparation, training, information, response, recovery and rehabilitation plans and implementation protocols.
The goals to attain this are as follows:
1) To develop a national system resistant to earthquake impact
2) To improve Metropolitan Manila’s urban structure resistant to earthquake
3) To enhance effective risk management system
4) To increase community resilience
5) To formulate reconstruction systems
6) To promote research and technology development for earthquake impact reduction measures.
Thus, efforts are being exerted by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the Metro Manila Development Authority and Local Government Units (LGU) to finalize and implement the recommendations of the MMEIRS Study.
(To Be Continued)
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