Phivolcs warns vs fake news on quakes

MANILA, Philippines —  To avoid being alarmed, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has warned social media users not to fall for fake news about earthquakes.

Phivolcs director Teresito Bacolcol debunked social media posts suggesting that a massive earthquake is scheduled later this month.

“Earthquakes are random events. Nobody would know exactly what date or time a temblor would occur. There is no technology that can tell us,” Bacolcol told The STAR yesterday. “It’s not helping because instead of thinking rationally, people tend to panic.”

Earthquakes have been a topic of discussion in recent days following the 7.7-magnitude temblor that struck Myanmar last week, with the death toll now at 3,085.

The Big One, referring to the anticipated 7.2-magnitude earthquake resulting from the movement of the West Valley Fault, could occur as early as 2058 or as late as 2258, according to Bacolcol.

Still, he said this should not provide comfort to the public.

“Of course, we have to anticipate the worst that it will happen on the lower limit; otherwise, we wouldn’t prepare,” Bacolcol said.

He said Metro Manila may potentially experience an Intensity 8 earthquake if the West Valley Fault,  which stretches from Bulacan to Laguna, moves for the first time since 1658.

Intensity 8 is classified on Phivolcs’ scale as “very destructive,” wherein people cannot stand outdoors and buildings are likely to sustain heavy damage