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| Manila Earthquake 1968. Collapsed Ruby Tower |
Last April 4, 2017 at 8:58 PM, a temblor rocked Southern Luzon. It was a 5.4 Magnitude earthquake with its epicenter at Tingloy, Batangas. It was felt all the way to Metro Manila where it registered at Magnitude 4. The bell at the Tingloy church fell from the tower and the basilica at the town of Taal suffered damages to its façade. Cracks were even noted at the Batangas Provincial Building and as of the next day, more than 500 aftershocks were registered by the instruments of PHIVOLCS.
The effect of the quake had repercussions in the National Capital Region. The NCR is traversed by the 100 kilometer long West Valley Fault and has been discovered that its movements that occur every 100 years has been long overdue.
Because of this, the MMEIRS Study that sought to identify the effects of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on the metropolis was commissioned and funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. It then formed the formulation of scenarios, plans, trainings and information dissemination in case of such an event.
The scenarios generated forecasted that 37,000 deaths would be the result of such a quake and a high percentage of buildings and structures would be destroyed or heavily damaged. More than 500 fires will occur when that time comes.
Together with contingency planning and efforts to organize each local government unit down to the barangay level, evacuation sites have been identified and assigned.
To be better organized in the response phase, Metro Manila has been divided into four quadrants for decentralized administrative control. These are:
North
– Caloocan
– Valenzuela
– Quezon City
– San Juan
– Mandaluyong
East
– Pasig
– Marikina
West
– Manila
– Malabon
– Navotas
South
– Las Piñas
– Makati
– Muntinlupa
– Parañaque
– Pateros
– Taguig
– Pasay
Aside from the four quadrants mentioned above, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) also designated operation centers and staging areas which will also serve as evacuation camps for affected residents:
North
– Veterans Memorial Golf Course
– University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman
East
– LRT-2 Santolan Depot
– Marikina Boys Town
– Red Cross Marikina
– Ultra Pasig
West
– Intramuros Golf Course
South
– Villamor Air Base Golf Course
Open spaces such as athletic fields, sports arenas that are undamaged and even cemeteries and memorial [parks will be utilized as evacuation centers.
It is projected that power, water and communications facilities will be heavily damaged together with roads and bridges. Contingency plans have already been drawn up by each LGU for fast response.
It is also projected that only 40% of the trained first responders will be available in the first critical hours and alternate communication facilities are already being established.
The rivers and waterways of Metro Manila such as the Pasig River and Marikina River will also be used as alternative routes for rescue and relief operations.
The residents of the metropolis must have their own emergency supplies to last them for five days which is the earliest outside relief efforts can reach them.
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