Phivolcs lifts tsunami alert for RP; initial waves small

State volcanologists on Sunday afternoon lifted their tsunami warning for the Philippines in the absence of unusual, significant sea level changes near the country’s coasts in front of the Pacific Ocean in the wake of an 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit south-central Chile on Saturday. In its 3:15 p.m. advisory, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) also said initial waves had been small and most of the Pacific islands already in its path had been spared damage. "As of 3 p.m. on February 28, the Phivolcs had not received any reports of unusual significant sea level changes within the projected arrival period of tsunami waves in Philippine coasts [between] 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.," it added. Phivolcs issued tsunami alert level 1 on Saturday and elevated the warning to the second level on Sunday morning, advising the public to be on the lookout for "unusual waves" near the coast. With an engrossed world watching the drama unfold on live TV, a tsunami raced across a quarter of the globe on Saturday and set off fears of a repeat of the carnage that caught the world off guard in Asia in 2004. But as it crossed the Pacific, the tsunami originating from Chile dealt populated areas — including the US state of Hawaii and Japan — just a brief blow. The tsunami initially raised fears that the Pacific could fall victim to killer waves similar to the ones that killed 230,000 people in the Indian Ocean in 2004 the morning after Christmas. During that disaster, there was little to no warning and much confusion about the impending waves. The tsunami was set off by a fierce magnitude-8.8 earthquake in Chile that sent waves barreling north across the Pacific. But Pacific islands had ample time to prepare for the tsunami because the quake had struck several thousand miles away. In its afternoon advisory the Phivolcs said observations of the passage of the tsunami in nearby countries showed that the waves were small and nondamaging. Back to normal "By 4:30 p.m. on February 28, if no other significant sea level changes were observed, local authorities and the public can assume that the tsunami threat has passed. People may resume their normal activities," it added. Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum denied that the agency had overreacted to the tsunami threat. "It is the response that matters most," he told ANC. Villagers living near the Philippines’ eastern coast were advised to move to higher ground, as the Phivolcs warned of waves as high as a meter between 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Local volcanologists, however, were quick to point out that the waves were unlikely to cause major damage. Despite assurances from Phivolcs of no immediate danger, Philippine National Police head Director-General Jesus Verzosa ordered all police unit commanders to form local disaster coordinating committees in 19 provinces. In separate interviews on dzBB radio on Sunday morning, the governors of provinces with coastlines in front of the Pacific Ocean — Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, Joseph Cua of Catanduanes and Bellaflor Castillo of Aurora — said their local disaster coordinating units had readied evacuation procedures for residents. In Butuan City, about 14,900 residents from nine coastal municipalities facing the Pacific Ocean in the Caraga region started leaving their homes towards higher ground as early as Saturday night due to tsunami fear. Meanwhile, the Albay government also prepared the evacuation of thousands as it waited for the Phivolcs to raise the alert level by one more notch. The earthquake in Chile was far stronger than the one that struck Haiti last month, but the death toll only ran in the hundreds compared with Chile’s about 220,000 since the South American country is wealthier and infinitely better prepared, with strict building building codes, robust emergency response and a long history of handling seismic catastrophes. — Sophia M. Dedace and Norman P. Aquino, GMANews.TV