Gob’yerno pinalakas ang quake response team para sa mabilis aksyon

MANILA – The government is urgently stepping up earthquake preparedness as experts warn of a looming magnitude 7.2 quake along the West Valley Fault that could shake Metro Manila to its core.

Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) sounded the alarm during a recent townhall: “We must prepare now. The most effective way to save lives is to start preparing today.”

Nepomuceno laid out a clear three-pronged strategy to brace the nation: fortify infrastructure, educate the public, and boost emergency response capabilities.

He emphasized a strict stance on building safety. Compliance with the National Building Code isn’t optional. Structures must be designed to withstand earthquakes as strong as magnitude 8.5. To achieve this, the OCD is teaming up with the Department of Trade and Industry and private engineers. Their mission? To raise construction standards and ban substandard materials—especially steel bars that don’t meet safety requirements.

Residents are also warned: no more constructions near fault lines or landslide-prone areas. “We cannot gamble with lives,” Nepomuceno stressed.

But preparation isn’t only about buildings. Knowing how to react during tremors can mean the difference between life and death. The simple yet life-saving move of “duck, cover, and hold” must be learned by everyone, he urged.

The government acknowledges the challenge ahead. Unlike Japan, which boasts over 12,000 well-trained earthquake responders, the Philippines has a much smaller force. Yet, the OCD is far from complacent.

To close this gap, the OCD rallies the Armed Forces, MMDA, Coast Guard, Red Cross, and other agencies to train more responders. Student volunteers from the National Service Training Program and private groups like the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and ARISE Philippines also join the effort.

“Our goal is to expand, organize, and build capacity to face the Big One,” Nepomuceno declared with resolve.

In schoolyards across the nation, like at Pinyahan Elementary in Quezon City, students practiced earthquake drills—ducking, covering, and moving quickly to safe zones. These exercises are vital sparks to strengthen instincts when real danger strikes.

The clock is ticking. For Metro Manila and the whole country, the time to prepare is now. Will you be ready when the earth shakes?