Drop, cover and hold

It has been a long while since the last time I experienced a very strong earthquake. Magnitude 5 earthquake, though fairly strong, may really pass without being felt or noticed, especially if one is moving or in deep sleep. It is hardly felt especially in areas far from the epicenter of the earthquake.

The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that rocked Batangas last April 4 was one case where I only learned about its occurrence from breaking news while I was at home in Paranaque City. Though it had affected many Metro Manila and nearby areas, much of the tremor centered in Tingloy, Batangas. More than 1,000 aftershocks were subsequently recorded by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology (Phivolcs).

Subsequently, earthquakes jolted Mabini town in Batangas last Saturday afternoon a minute apart: first a magnitude 5.7 at 3:08 p.m., followed by a magnitude 5.9. Both were felt at Intensity 7, which is classified by Phivolcs as “destructive.”

It was only then that I felt how it is to be in the middle of potential disaster again. I felt shaken from left to right while seated behind my desk at one corner of The STAR editorial office. Initially, I looked around my surrounding to check if I was just dizzy.

My fears it was earthquake were confirmed when I saw hanging frames of painting at the office began swinging sideways, too. And the usual panic that follows got all of us on our feet to go to the nearest exit out of our office at the ground floor of our three-story building in Port Area, Manila. With Manila Bay just a few blocks away from our office, we certainly would not wait for any tsunami to catch us by surprise.

What makes earthquake deadly is the fact this phenomena unleashes unforeseen forces that manifest its power to move earth below us without any prior signs. While the rocking and shaking of earth usually last for a few seconds only, its impact always spells disaster in the long-term.

The other danger that strong earthquake poses is the possibility of inducing “tsunami” phenomenon. From its Japanese origin of the word “tsu” (harbor) and “nami” (wave), tsunami is a very high, large wave in the ocean that is usually caused by an earthquake under the sea and that can cause great destruction when it reaches land.

The most recent was the magnitude 9.1 earthquake on March 11, 2011 that hit Japan where one of its coastal prefectures called Fukishima was nearly wiped out by waves and waves of tsunami.

As precautionary measure, it is supposed to be safer to try to get to open areas than to stay inside buildings in case of earthquake. Our initial panic turned into nervous laughter when we all realized that we headed to a more dangerous path in trying to get out of the office to safer grounds.

While standing outside the office, we stared at the prospects of the condemned building located across The STAR facing Railroad St. The 13-story condemned complex could easily fall down and crush us to pieces. It once housed the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) district 4 office. But the condemned property, as I gathered, is owned by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

This empty building has been standing virtually on skeletal remains for years already. It has become sort of a “free hotel” for a number of homeless families in Port Area. They have taken shelter inside the condemned building long before Kadamay urban poor families illegally took over government housing sites in Pandi, Bulacan.

At one time, we saw a South Korean film crew used the condemned building to shoot a “horror” movie. That’s how creepy this structure has become.

When I first wrote in my column about the dangers posed by this condemned building several years back, professional wrecking crews and companies involved in demolition sought me out to offer their services. Well, it is not my call, I told them and referred them to offer their services to the government agencies concerned.

Up to now, the condemned structure has not been torn down. It should have been done yesterday. It is a disaster waiting to happen.

The latest earthquake is giving us jitters over our next-door neighbor in Port Area.

Sporadic earthquakes rocked yesterday other provinces from up north in Luzon down to southern tips in Mindanao. At around 10:44 a.m. yesterday, magnitude 4.4 earthquake rocked Governor Generoso in Davao Oriental. Region 1 provinces were jolted by magnitude 3.3 earthquake around 1:27 p.m. yesterday, with its epicenter traced northeast in Bagulin in La Union. At 4 p.m., a magnitude 2.9 earthquake of tectonic origin jolted the town of Sevilla in Bohol.

As of this writing late afternoon yesterday, the Phivolcs detected at least 26 earthquakes, not after shocks, in Batangas areas. The strongest one at magnitude 3.5 shook the town of San Luis in Batangas around 2:47 p.m. yesterday.

Phivolcs director Renato Solidum, one of our country’s most trusted seismologists, warned these “earthquake swarm” from the Batangas tremors could last for days or weeks. The “swarm” originates from an unnamed fault along the Mabini peninsula but Solidum believes this is unlikely to produce stronger earthquakes.

Solidum further reassured the public there is no connection between this earthquake “swarm” in Batangas and the feared “Big One” earthquake coming from the West Valley Fault that runs through the stretch of Metro Manila.

Through Phivolcs, Solidum has warned the public about a destructive 7.2 magnitude earthquake that could be generated by a movement of the West Valley Fault.

Nicknamed the “Big One,” the Metro Manila quake – like all other earthquakes – cannot be predicted or forecasted but based on historical data, it is due to happen over within the century. “Essentially people are advised to just be prepared in case there are strong shocks to the precautionary measures that they are protected in case stronger earthquakes happen,” Solidum clarified.

In earthquake drills, the basic reminder given to all is summarized in three simple acts of self-preservation: Drop (or Duck), cover, and hold. Drop or duck is a natural instinct when one is standing up to drop down and look for area to hide for cover and safety. Hold is to stay in that safe, covered area. We can start looking for a much safer place once the shaking stops.

Always remember – drop, cover and hold – these three things may help save our lives should earthquake strikes when we are caught inside high-rise buildings. And the rest, we leave to God’s divine protection.