Palace happy with gov't-media 'bayanihan' on tsunami response

Malacañang lauded Saturday the “bayanihan (cooperation)" between the government and media in facilitating responses to threats of a tsunami caused by the magnitude-8.9 quake that hit Japan. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte credited the media for helping government disseminate information about the tsunami threat, which in turn allowed residents to evacuate early. “Nang pumutok ang balita gumalaw ang lahat. Kaakibat natin ang kaibigan sa media para mailabas nang mabilis ang information (When the alert was issued, everyone moved quickly. In this case, the government and media became effective partners to relay the information to the public)," Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. She also lauded local government officials for conducting preemptive evacuations of threatened areas. As a result, she said, there was no report of casualty from the tsunami when the waves reached Philippine shores. In Bicol, Albay Public Safety emergency Management Office head Cedric Daep noted they managed to successfully evacuate families in coastal areas because they had a lead time of three to four hours. The residents were allowed to decamp and go home as early as 12:30 a.m. Saturday after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) lifted the tsunami warning. “We had a lead time of three to four hours to act before the tsunami came," he said in a separate interview on dzRB. More frequent drills, inspections But Valte said much room remains for improvement as she backed calls for more frequent drills and inspections. She said the incident in Japan should convince employers and building owners to allow more earthquake, fire, and safety drills. “Frequent drills can help us. But you need the cooperation of the building owners and employers to conduct the drills. But after the experience Friday, I don’t think it will be a problem to convince them to conduct more frequent safety drills," she said in Filipino. Valte also reminded local government inspectors of the important role they play in ensuring the safety of buildings and structures from quakes and tsunamis. She also encouraged residents to request inspections if they have doubts about the structural integrity of their buildings. “Mas mabuti kung may kaunting agam-agam sa structure ng building pwede lumapit sa local government para hingan ng inspection sa engineers natin diyan (If one has doubts about the safety of the building, one can ask the local government to conduct a safety inspection)," she said. — LBG, GMA News