PREPARE YOURSELF

To be honest, I am not prepared for the High magnitude earthquake that has been predicted to occur with our country.

I have some “survival” supplies at home, but this is primarily because of my interest in camping. I have tents, sleeping bags, lanterns, flash lights, waterproof matches, propane and other camping gear I could use following an earthquake. I can filter and sterilize water if I need to, and I have enough canned food to last a few days. Most importantly I have a few bottles of Chardonnay and a deck of cards to pass the time.

A recent report sponsored by the PHILVOLCS ( Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology ) and PAG-ASA ( Philipine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Administration ) Survey and the Philippines Geological Surveyr concludes that a 6.7 or up magnitude earthquake will occur along one of the many faults in the Philippines mostly the MARIKINA FAULT LINE.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the Marikina West Valley fault line, the country’s biggest fault which could produce a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, is ripe for movement.

"Ripe na gumalaw ang fault. Napakataas ng probability na gumalaw ito in the future, hindi lang natin masabi ang exact date and time(The fault is ready to move. It has a very high probability that it will shift in the near future. We just cannot say the exact date and time)," Phivolcs deputy director Bartolome Bautista said during a Senate inquiry on the country’s disaster preparedness on Wednesday, March 16.

Bautista stated that the earthquake fault, which starts from Sierra Madre to Tagaytay, moves every 200 to 400 years. "The last time that the fault moved was 200 years ago," he added. "Pumapasok na siya sa recurrence time, pasok sa cycle (It fits the recurrence time, it fits the cycle)," he declared.

According to Bautista, they still cannot determine what would make the fault move but that they are only depending on the pre-quake shocks to signal its movement. "Iba-iba yung pag-uugali ng faults (Faults move differently)," he said.

Like I said, I am not prepared for such a catastrophic earthquake, but we can all take some fairly simple steps to get prepared for such a disaster.

Educate yourself. Read information available from the Philippine Geological Survey or any other agency tasked with public safety in an emergency. Many cities also provide free community outreach training.

Prepare your family. When the next big one strikes, how will you communicate with your family? What about your pets? Where will you go if your home is destroyed? Make an emergency plan for your family. Many of the agencies mentioned above have information on emergency planning.

Prepare for “72 hours.” The conventional wisdom recommends stocking 72 hours worth of supplies including 1 gallon of water per day per person, extra medications and food for your family and pets. Lists of recommended supplies are available online.

Prepare your home. Take steps to protect your home, such as securing your water heater, cabinets and wall hangings to minimize the damage from an earthquake. You should also consider earthquake insurance (if the astronomical premiums don’t send you to the hospital).