Phivolcs chief wants incentives for keeping homes safe vs earthquakes

Local governments should consider granting incentives for Filipinos to transfer to residences away from active faults or to fortify their houses against earthquakes, the head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said on Sunday. An active fault is a fracture on the crust of the earth along which earthquakes are likely to take place. In the Philippines, which lies on the earthquake-prone Pacific Ring of Fire, active faults run through residential areas, schools, and commercial centers. In an interview with GMA News Online on Sunday, Phivolcs director Renato Solidum Jr. proposed that local government units (LGUs) grant tax incentives or “whatever they can think of" to encourage Filipinos to avoid or minimize the hazards of living on top of or close to active faults. The Phivolcs director, however, declined to propose a set of specifics, deferring to officials with a better grip on LGU policies. “Whatever assistance the LGU can give, it’s for them to think of and do," Solidum said. Solidum explained that LGUs should explore means to assist affected communities. “Pababayaan mo na lang ba sila? (Will you leave them on their own)?" he asked. Solidum made the call in the wake of the magnitude-8.9 earthquake that devastated Japan on Friday, triggering a 10-meter tsunami, fires, and a landslide. Guidelines Solidum explained that structures, in general, should steer clear of the path of active faults, which usually span widths as narrow as less than a foot. As an additional safety measure, he added that constructions must also make way for a five-meter buffer zone on both sides of an active fault. For structures already built on top an active fault, he said the best option is for owners to move these buildings away. Otherwise, Solidum said, “They have to ensure that they know what to do during an earthquake." Solidum noted that an earthquake will cause the definite rupture of a house on top of an active fault – but without necessarily sparing the houses away from the fault from damages due to the shaking of the ground. He gave the example of Port-au-Prince in Haiti, the country's capital where over 150,000 people perished in a magnitude-7 earthquake in 2010 despite the area’s 25-kilometer distance from the active fault that caused the disaster. “That’s a very good example of a place that an earthquake damaged due to ground shaking," he said. In a statement on the Phivolcs website on Thursday, Solidum then emphasized the importance of complying with the country’s Building Code – which means following the required size of construction materials and applying mortar meticulously – to ensure that houses can withstand strong earthquakes. “There are no shortcuts to safety," Solidum said. Viability of Solidum's proposal Referring to Solidum’s proposal to grant incentives for earthquake safety, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo told GMA News Online, “Maganda ang ideyang ‘yan (That’s a good idea)." Robredo, however, noted the cash-strapped status of many LGUs. “Ang malaking hamon diyan, sinong magbabayad (The challenge is, who will shoulder the costs)?" he said. Robredo explained that such a proposal requires an in-depth study, adding that a proposed relocation may fall under the jurisdiction of the National Housing Authority. Solidum pointed out, however, that there are “many ways" for LGUs to avoid or lessen the destructive effects of earthquakes. He remarked, “Lahat ba ng LGU, mahirap (Are all LGUs cash-strapped)?" Solidum cited Muntinlupa City, which has worked closely with Phivolcs on earthquake safety measures. An ordinance in Muntinlupa City bans the building of concrete structures on top of active faults as well as within the five-meter buffer zone on both sides of the fault, said Engr. Oscar Oquendo, head of the Muntinlupa City Disaster Coordinating Council. Oquendo told GMA News Online that his city, in coordination with Phivolcs, has also crafted a localized map that identifies the zones that fault lines pass through. “You can give me your address, and I can give you, right at that moment, whether the area is affected or not," he said. Oquendo explained that other LGUs do not implement the same mechanism. Possible destruction Lining the Philippines from North to South, active faults expose almost all Filipinos to the destructive effects of earthquakes. In Metro Manila alone, almost 35,000 people run the risk of perishing in strong temblors from one of the country’s most active faults, the Valley Fault System, according to the Metro Manila Impact Reduction Study. The study was conducted in 2004 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The study projects the casualties amid 500 simultaneous fires in up to 98,000 buildings, and the collapse 170,000 structures. Formerly and still widely called the Marikina Fault System, the Valley Fault System stretches from the Sierra Madre in Bulacan, down to Tagaytay, and on to portions of Metro Manila and Laguna. – VVP, GMA News