Nicki Florianne B.

Aycardo BSA V
Investing in timely response

The article was very timely with the recent quakes which struck most parts of the
Philippines. Based on the article, the teams were focused on the retrieval of fatalities with the
hope of finding more survivors. However, with the lack of necessary equipment, digging through
the rubble of collapsed structures is always complicated. In July 1990, when a 7.8-magnitude
earthquake hit Luzon, several of the victims died not from being crushed by the debris but from
the dehydration because they could not be pulled out of the school building on time. Despite the
tragedies, the lack of equipment persisted. Due to the late response, many fatalities were never
recovered. Recent events might be related to the Big One, which should be brought up to light.
The Big One became a hot topic years ago as a hypothetical earthquake with a magnitude
of 8 or greater. According to Jerry Velasquez of United Nations International Strategy for Disaster
Reduction, the potential quake will surely happen. It is not just a prediction over a specified time.
We have already been warned but I don’t think that Filipinos took it seriously until the earthquake
last week. To reduce the fatalities with the Big One, the NDRRMC lead the nationwide
simultaneous earthquake drill. Throughout the years, I’ve witnessed that some does not take the
drill seriously. I, for one, is an example. But upon experiencing disasters, I realized how important
it is. Aside from the drill, we also must train our minds to keep calm during such disaster. I believe
that panicking is contagious as we are vulnerable. And if we let the fear dominate, no good
outcome can be expected.
The potential quake is foreseen to destroy bridges, buildings, roads, houses, cars and
much more, possible deaths to 37,000 people and may hurt as many as 110,000 individuals. The
quality of construction and the type of building materials used play a big role in a building’s
chances of surviving the earthquake, according to experts at Phivolcs. As a general rule, poorly
designed buildings and those built of inferior materials are more vulnerable to collapse. With
President Duterte’s BBB program, along with the corrupt people, there’s no guarantee that what
they’re building are of good quality and does follow the standards of Phivolcs. The article pointed
out that the government must invest more on equipment for rescuing people from collapsed
concrete structures. Along with that, I believe that the government should focus on building shock
proof infrastructures. There’s no assurance that it would not collapse, but surely, it will give
individuals more time to evacuate especially those from mid-rise and high-rise buildings.
As for typhoons, the government should always take the precautionary measures. Basic
necessities should be prepared in every evacuation center. However, the government taking
action is not enough unless the citizens cooperate. We can be stubborn sometimes, prioritizing
our valuables over our lives.
I believe that it is better to reduce risk than rescue. Life can never be replaced. Let the
response start with ourselves. We can’t entirely rely on rescue operations given that they lack
proper equipment. It might take years for the country to recover but having survivors is already
considered a blessing. We can ask the neighbouring countries for help to face the aftermath.