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Phivolcs: Japan quake can improve PHL disaster response


The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Saturday lauded local governments for its efforts to protect people living along the country’s eastern seaboards from the threat of a tsunami, but said authorities it should not stop there. In a press briefing at the Phivolcs office in Quezon City, Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. said he was pleased to see how local governments reacted when his agency raised a Tsunami Alert Level 2 in 19 provinces hours before the arrival of waves triggered by a magnitude-8.9 earthquake in Japan. "Maganda ang response ng mga tao at ng local governments," Solidum said, referring to the immediate orders from local government to carry out preemptive evacuations of thousands of villagers living near coastlines in the eastern coastlines of the country. However, Solidum said that the government should not be complacent but consider the incident as an opportunity for improvement. "Let's also look at areas for improvement in our efforts because disaster response is never 100-percent efficient," Solidum said. He said the government should focus on how to speed up the flow of information from the national government down to the local units and further down to affected residents. Solidum also said that local governments' disaster-response measures should be based on the needs of their respective localities. "Iba't iba kasi ang preparedness ng bawat bayan," he said. Solidum, in a separate report on 24 Oras on Friday, reiterated the need for engineers, building officials, contractors, and homeowners groups to strictly observe the Standard Local Building Code of the Philippines. Solidum advised the use of six-inch concrete hollow blocks and 10-millimeter steel enforcements in making houses. Architect Felino “Jun" Palafox Jr, meanwhile, told GMA News in an interview on Friday that the government should also pour investments into making sure structures are earthquake-resistant. He cited a 2004 study showing that almost a quarter of all buildings in the country are at risk of collapsing should a strong earthquake hit the Philippines. — LBG/HS, GMA News

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