Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Dr. Renato V. Solidum Jr. has welcomed the request of President Duterte for Congress to immediately create the Department of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DDRRM.)
Solidum said establishing the DDRRM now could greatly reduce the projected 48,000 fatalities in the National Capital Region and nearby provinces in case a 7.2-magnitude earthquake called the “Big One” hits Manila.
Speaking during the Third Disaster Resilience Conference for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens at the SMX of the Mall of Asia sponsored by SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, in partnership with Philvolcs and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Solidum said the creation of a department on DRRM is long overdue, “considering the position of the Philippines as one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world”.
Solidum stressed that “we have long been in discussion to elevate the matter of DRRM to a department level because Republic Act 10121, or the Philippine DRRM Act is under review.” He warned that the “Big One” could strike anytime.
Solidum lamented that the Philippine government and the people in general merely react to events and do not allocate time and resources for response and rescue efforts.
Having the DDRRM, he said, will expand the focus to include disaster preparedness and mitigation which will not only be more cost-effective, but will save lives and properties.
“There would be more concerted effort and there will be people whose focus will only be on DRRM and not only on search and rescue,” he said.
He added that if nothing is done to prepare for an earthquake, especially when the so-called Big One hits the West Valley fault, no less than 48,000 people will die in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
Solidum warned that many of those will perish will be PWDs and senior citizens because of their physical limitations and personality vulnerabilities. “That is why we are always saying that, for PWDs and senior citizens, there should be a buddy system so that whenever any kind of emergency takes place, they are always with somebody to assist them.”
He added that while nobody could be prepared enough for an earthquake, it is important that efforts are now being conducted to prepare for earthquakes.
“The enormity of the problem needs to be examined not only with response but also with prevention side. No country can be ever ready if the focus will only be on the response side, that is why it is important for us to focus on disaster preparedness and mitigation,” Solidum said.
He added that one of the most certain way to save lives in case the Big One hits is to beef up the structural strength of edifices.
“You want to save lives? Make sure that your houses, buildings and other structures are strengthened, and this can be achieved when we change the mind-set of the people that their lives during earthquakes will depend on how they build their houses and the materials they use,” he argued.
The DRRM, being spearheaded by SM, is one of the concrete measures to change the mindset of people.
“We can never have enough of these kinds of fora that focus on preparedness and resiliency. We need to prepare. We need to change mind-sets because it is the only way we can save our lives,” Solidum said.
Image credits: Roy Domingo
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