Right info necessary in earthquake preparedness: Solidum

MANILA – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum Jr. on Thursday said being armed with the right information helps the public to be prepared for strong earthquake events.

“Right information is necessary, as this would guide them on proper preparations and response. Knowing the earthquake hazards, for instance, would help people to imagine the effects of an earthquake and the kind of preparations needed,” Solidum told the Philippine News Agency in an interview.

He added that knowing the earthquake’s intensity based on Phivolcs’ earthquake intensity scale would guide the public in determining whether they need to evacuate after the ground shaking.

“Know the right information and actions for earthquake events and tsunamis. Duck, cover, and hold to protect yourself from falling objects or debris. Evacuate to an elevated area if there are signs of an approaching local tsunami,” he said.

It is also important to ensure that buildings and structures are compliant with the National Structural Code of the Philippines so that these would not collapse during strong earthquakes, Solidum added.

On Thursday, Phivolcs held a webinar for the media, aiming to capacitate the media practitioners on the science of earthquakes.

Phivolcs has been conducting seminars on volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis since 2005, he said.

About 49 participants have registered for the webinar.

Solidum advised that the public should prepare for “localized worst-case scenarios”.

“It means that generating a scenario involves determining the historical earthquake events that affected the particular location, the earthquake source/s and their recurrence interval that will potentially affect this area,” he said.

Other data such as geology, ground motion model, among other, must also be looked at, he said.