Further improvement of quake drills key in polishing PH earthquake intervention

The inclusion of diverse environmental scenarios in simulated earthquake drills is vital for enhancing the Philippines' preparedness for “The Big One.”

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said in a recent forum that the agency continues to improve the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) by introducing new variables such as the time of occurrence.

“We are presenting different scenarios. For example, we will conduct drills at night to see how well we can respond if an earthquake occurs during that time. We are also considering including tsunami scenarios in our drills,” Nepomuceno said.

The OCD chief also emphasized the importance of strengthening partnerships with the private sector, which can significantly boost response efforts when disaster strikes.

“For example, the DPWH can deploy their heavy equipment to remove debris, but the private sector can also help in those types of work,” he said.

“The government, private sector, and civil society should work hand-in-hand towards managing huge incidents like earthquakes,” Nepomuceno added.

Nepomuceno is also eyeing to revive the addition of visual line markers among the areas of active faults, particularly in Metro Manila.

“We don’t intend to offend developers, but the safety and welfare of residents should take greater priority over property development concerns,” he said, noting that awareness must be raised—especially among those living near fault lines.

According to the HazardHunterPH map, villages that sit close to or directly over the West Valley Fault include Loyola Subdivision and Industrial Valley Subdivision in Quezon City, and Valle Verde 1, 3, 5, and 6 in Pasig City.

A study by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) revealed that a magnitude 7.2 earthquake along the West Valley Fault could collapse around 168,000 buildings and potentially claim 33,000 lives in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.