This, after a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 5,000 people and damaged thousands of structures in Turkey and Syria on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.
CCDRRMO head Harold Alcontin said Tuesday, Feb. 7, that their office will now focus on providing information dissemination to communities and schools in the City.
According to Alcontin, their study revealed that many residents do not know how to properly react during an earthquake which may lead to injuries and even death.
“Based sa atoang study, daghan kaayo ang nanga rattle. Daghan kaayo ang nangalisang, dili sila kabalo sa ilang angay buhaton (Based on our study, so many people often lose their composure [during an earthquake]. Many of them are terrified and don’t know what to do in that particular situation),” he said.
Alcontin advised the public that in the event of an earthquake, they should not immediately run but rather perform the “drop, cover and hold” procedure.
Once the shaking of the ground is over, it is then time to look for open spaces or proceed to a designated evacuation area, he added.
After the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol and Cebu in 2013, the CCDRRMO has been non-stop in conducting drills inside schools but Alcontin said this was halted due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Now that face-to-face classes have resumed, Alcontin said all drills and preparations against deadly calamities such as earthquakes will be practiced again.
Alcontin also shared that all City Hall offices including the satellite offices have already undergone a simultaneous earthquake drill.
The CCDRRMO has also invested in procuring equipment that can be used during earthquakes, especially in penetrating collapsed structures.
Generally safe buildings
In a separate interview, Office of the Building Official (OBO) head Florante Catalan said all buildings and high-rise structures in the City are generally safe from earthquakes.
Catalan explained that their office will not release any building and occupancy permits without a thorough inspection of the integrity of the structures.
But he admitted that there are around eight privately owned structures in the City that are considered hazardous due to their old age.
Catalan said that they have already sent communications to these privately owned buildings that are no longer being occupied and have ordered their immediate demolition.
The OBO is also requiring all high-rise buildings to install an earthquake recording instrument such as a seismograph to further ensure the integrity of the buildings.
Catalan said this type of equipment will help structural engineers to assess if their building is still safe for occupancy after an earthquake.
Turkey, Syria quake death toll now at 5,000
As of Tuesday, Feb. 7, authorities in eastern Turkey and neighboring Syria said that the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit the region has killed more than 5,000.
Countries around the world dispatched teams to assist in the rescue efforts, and Turkey’s disaster management agency said more than 24,400 emergency personnel were now on the ground. But with such a wide swath of territory hit by Monday’s earthquake and nearly 6,000 buildings confirmed to have collapsed in Turkey alone, their efforts were spread thin.
Attempts to reach survivors were also impeded by temperatures below freezing and close to 200 aftershocks, which made the search through unstable structures perilous. (AP)