Abandon schools near West Valley Fault — Philvolcs

PHIVOLCS seismograph. File photo: PhilNews

MANILA — The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology on Friday warned that school buildings transected by the West Valley Fault should be abandoned if not completely demolished.

The warning is in view of the massive earthquake eyeing to hit the fault and cause destruction of lives and properties.

“They need to transfer the kids…It’s not that many. They need to discuss it with [the Department of Education] and school officials. Essentially, they are putting students at risk. To be fair, we don’t know when the fault will move,” Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum Jr. said in an ANC interview.

“It’s like gambling with their lives,” he added.

The director added that six schools were already advised not to use the school buildings withing the buffer zone of the Fault.

The schools included in the list of those on top of the West Valley Fault are:

1. Sitio Karahume Elementary School in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan

2. Barangka Elementary School in Marikina

3. Tibagan Elementary School in Makati

4. Anne-Claire Montessori in Taguig

5. Alabang Elementary School in Muntinlupa

6. E. Pedro Diaz High School in Muntinlupa

“The affected schools must make sure they do not use the rooms for classes or offices. We have advised them not to. They can use this for storage spaces or strengthen the demolished part of the building if its’s like a very long building. Demolish the part transected by the fault and reinforce the sides of the building which is away from the buffer zone or demolish the whole building totally,” he said.

Philvolcs has also launched a Valley Fault System Atlas which will be used to identify the places that will be affected.

The atlas, which has been distributed to local government units, identified locations in the 100-kilometer West Valley Fault transecting 42 barangays in Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Muntinlupa, and 30 barangays in Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite.