Marilyn Cahatol

Students of Pinyahan Elementary School participate in the Second Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill on Thursday, June 19, 2025, to enhance disaster preparedness and promote a culture of safety.
Guided by school officials and emergency responders, students practice the “drop, cover, and hold” technique before evacuating to designated open areas. The activity aims to strengthen the school community’s response in the event of a real earthquake, ensuring both awareness and readiness among young learners. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

EARTHQUAKE DRILL

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176145065621120250619-earthquake-drill-pinyahan-MT24.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Students of Pinyahan Elementary School participate in the Second Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill on Thursday, June 19, 2025, to enhance disaster preparedness and promote a culture of safety. Guided by school officials and emergency responders, students practice the “drop, cover, and hold” technique before evacuating to designated open areas. The activity aims to strengthen the school community’s response in the event of a real earthquake, ensuring both awareness and readiness among young learners. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Local officials have called for a heightened earthquake preparedness, with several cities already mounting earthquake drills to prepare for “The Big One” — a 7.2-magnitude quake that could strike Metro Manila should the West Valley Fault move. </p><p>In Quezon City, the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (QCDRRMO) conducted a “Walk the Fault” activity last week along with the City Engineering Department and Department of Building. </p><p>In a social media post, the city said this aims to inspect the roads and buildings that could be found in the West Valley Fault. </p><p>“Naglagay din ng mga marker upang malinaw na matukoy ang fault line sa iba-ibang bahagi ng lungsod,” it read. </p><p>Several barangays in the city are situated along the West Valley Fault:  Bagong Silangan, Batasan Hills, Matandang Balara, Pansol, Blue Ridge B, Libis, Bagumbayan, White Plains, and Ugong Norte.</p><p>Quezon City Fifth District Councilor Alfred Vargas, for his part, said preparedness for “The Big One” was necessary, noting there was also a need for coordination among sectors. </p><p>&quot;The obligation to save as many lives when disasters strike and the responsibility to attain the highest realistic preparedness of our city rests not only in the government but in each and every QCitizen,&quot; Vargas said in a statement. </p><p>&quot;Our biggest preparedness is needed now more than ever,&quot; he added. </p><p>Vargas, chairman of the city’s Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, said regular earthquake drills in schools and workplaces would promote a culture of preparedness. </p><p>&quot;We should know what to do when earthquakes strike, and get used to the drills like it&#x27;s muscle memory,&quot; the QC councilor said.</p><p>&quot;The more frequent the drills, the better — until it becomes natural for each and [every one],” he added. </p><p>Vargas also lauded Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte for a comprehensive disaster preparedness plan. </p><p>He noted, meanwhile, that fresh technology and international building standards, as well as the city’s code and regulations, must be strictly followed so buildings would be quake-resistant. </p><p>&quot;We need to make sure that our policies and regulations are updated to include modern technologies in construction to ensure the safety of our citizens,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;Science and preparedness must meet in the middle to secure our city when earthquakes strike,&quot; he added. </p><p>To ensure safety, Vargas suggested that buildings and establishments located near the West Valley fault must be inspected to ensure their structural integrity. </p><p>&quot;In times of calamities, we can do everything that&#x27;s possible if we are united, and we can prevent widespread destruction if we truly become prepared,” he said. </p><p>What was important in the end, the official said, was to save lives.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/05/02/19/should-you-be-afraid-of-the-big-one"><strong>How strong an earthquake will the &#x27;Big One&#x27; be? You need to sit down for the answer</strong></a></div><div> </div><div><strong>MANILA</strong></div><p>In the city of Manila, Mayor Isko Moreno already urged the residents to prepare for the strong earthquake, following the strong quakes that rattled Cebu, Davao, and other areas in Mindanao. </p><p>The Manila Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office, the Manila Health Department, and other local agencies, he said, are prepared to respond should an earthquake happen in the city. </p><p>This Saturday, Science Secretary Renato Solidum told Manila officials that preparation and disaster readiness are the best weapons against “The Big One.” </p><p>“If the West Valley Fault moves with a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, Manila may experience Intensity 8 shaking,” he said. </p><p>“Earthquakes do not kill people directly, but building collapses do. We need to strengthen our houses and buildings,” he said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/10/10/phivolcs-no-connection-in-cebu-la-union-davao-quakes-1725">Phivolcs: No connection in Cebu, La Union, Davao quakes</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>MARIKINA </strong></div><p>Marikina last week also mounted earthquake drills to ensure that residents and communities are prepared for the big one. </p><p>Mayor Maan Teodoro herself led the rescue teams in inspecting the hydraulic tools, search-and-rescue equipment, medical kits, and communication devices which would be used for the quake and other natural calamities. </p><p>As part of the city’s simultaneous earthquake drill, the Marikina local government shared that it already planned an Emergency Field Hospital — a temporary facility that would serve as a hospital should medical facilities be overwhelmed when the “Big One” strikes. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/16/dilg-informal-settlers-most-at-risk-from-the-big-one-earthquake-1408">DILG: Informal settlers most at risk from ‘The Big One’ earthquake</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>VALENZUELA</strong></div><p>On Oct. 22, the city government of Valenzuela mounted a full-scale exercise, simulating a magnitude-7.2 earthquake. </p><p>The drills were held simultaneously across different areas in the city, testing Valenzuela’s Incident Command System (ICS) and the deployment of the Incident Management Team (IMT). </p><p>“Responders from various divisions, offices, and partner agencies carried out search and rescue, medical triage, evacuation, incident coordination, and communication management under simulated conditions of collapsed structures, power outages, and multiple casualties,” the statement read .</p><p>“The exercise provided a realistic environment to assess operational readiness, coordination, and decision-making under pressure,” it added. </p><p>The &quot;Big One&quot; is the 7.2 magnitude earthquake predicted to bring catastrophic destruction in Metro Manila upon a big movement in the West Valley Fault, which traverses Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, and Muntinlupa, and also the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna. </p><p>The West Valley Fault’s last major movement was recorded in 1658. Based on the lower boundary of its 400 to 600 years of recurrence interval, Bacolcol <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/10/13/possibility-of-big-one-quake-increases-as-2058-approaches-phivolcs-1130">said </a>its next movement may possibly happen earlier or later than 2058.</p><p>It could also happen 600 years past 1658, which will be around the year 2258.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/10/18/expert-earthquake-survival-increases-if-building-code-followed-1535">Expert: Earthquake survival increases if building code followed</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jFv7Ezd70xc?si=ERDWVpqMoGf4J-5J" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>Local officials have called for a heightened earthquake preparedness, with several cities already mounting earthquake drills to prepare for “The Big One” — a 7.2-magnitude quake that could strike Metro Manila should the West Valley Fault move.</p>

Local officials have called for a heightened earthquake preparedness, with several cities already mounting earthquake drills to prepare for “The Big One” — a 7.2-magnitude quake that could strike Metro Manila should the West Valley Fault move.

Heightened earthquake preparedness needed for ‘Big One’ – officials

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Heightened earthquake preparedness needed for ‘Big One’ – officials

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 26, 2025 12:18 PM PHT

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