QC pushes for relocation of families away from faultline

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MANILA — The Quezon City government urged Monday the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to prioritize the relocation of QC residents whose houses were built in areas transected by the West Valley Fault.

QC mayor Herbert Bautista made the call in the wake of the powerful earthquake that struck Nepal in April this year.

Bautista said that he understood that both agencies were giving priority to the relocation of informal settler families occupying waterways, but it was also imperative that utmost attention should be given for the immediate transfer of the West Valley families to areas away from the fault line.

“Nakakalungkot po dahil inuuna kasi ay iyong mga pamilya na nanggagaling mula sa waterways (It’s saddening because we’re prioritizing the families coming from the waterways),” said Bautista.

He said that he had earlier urged also the NHA and DILG to start issuing relocation notices to the families, whose houses are within the danger zone along the West Valley Fault, to ensure their safety.

His order for relocation was based on the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS) that warns of a powerful earthquake that may originate at the West Valley Fault.

To date, the city government, on orders of the Mayor, has already discouraged the construction of structures within the 5 meter-wide borders or buffer zone on both sides of the fault, which runs along the periphery of the city through the eastern boundary.

In 2013, the city identified at least 700 property owners residing within the five meter- wide buffer zone recommended by Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).