CONSORTIUM...

FROM 3 their financial capacity? Because dako gyud ang costing ana specially buying buses. Possibly, if we have a consortium of cooperatives, we need to capacitate them and kinahanglan naay financial infusion and they can do this if they have a consortium coming from big cooperatives nga puwede maghatag ug financial infusion para sa ani nga programa if ever the government thru HPBS would give that cooperative a chance to have even at least one route,” Eblamo said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Tuesday.

Eblamo explained that operators/drivers have to be in their cooperatives for them to see the importance of being in a cooperative rather than in an organization.

“Sa ating cooperative sector we are trying our best to reach out operators kung unsa man ang puwede namo matabang sa ilaha. There is also a compensation package for operators and drivers. They have to be in their cooperatives kay importante nga makit-an nila ang importance ngano kinahanglan mag cooperative rather than an organization kay kung cooperative you are co-owners specially sa transport coops,” she said.

The HPBS will replace over 15 years old and no longer roadworthy public utility vehicles (PUVs) with low-floor city buses.

The government will offer as part of the social development package for impacted drivers and operators, owners of outdated jeepneys will also get a sum of money for each unit that is scrapped on top of the financial, technical, and livelihood assistance.

“Katong ma-displaced specially transport coops we will be there to support them in terms of livelihoods and katong ma displaced our office will be very ready to train them in partnership with TESDA. Kailangan natin i-hone ang kanilang skills. These displaced drivers will be supported by our office in terms of livelihood programs,” Eblamo said.

She is hopeful that the HPBS would start next year.

PCA...

FROM 5 funding or insurance, marketing assistance and low-interest credit opportunities.

Moreover, Rosales said local farmers are urged to form associations or cooperatives to improve the implementation of PCA’s expansion and modernization programs.

He also bared that another program would be launched for the welfare of coconut farmers.

“Let’s look forward to this – isa pang programa na magtataguyod ng scholarship, college scholarship para sa anak ng ating magniniyog at mga manggagawa (another program that will provide a scholarship or college scholarship for the children of our coconut farmers or workers),” Rosales said.

FORMER...

some 114,000 persons, partly damage an estimated 340,000 residential structures and cause the collapse of about 170,000 houses.

“Fire will break out and burn approximately 1,710 hectares and a total of 18,000 additional people will be killed by this secondary disaster,” the study said, adding that infrastructure and lifelines will suffer heavy damage as well.

But it’s not only Metro Manila that will experience the “Big One.” In fact, every region or province in the country is vulnerable to its own “Big One,” reminds PhiVolcs. This includes Davao Region.

Historical records showed a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit Compostela Valley in 1893. On April 15, 1924, another earthquake with 8.3-magnitude happened somewhere in Sigaboy, now known as Governor Generoso in Davao Oriental.

According to the PhiVolcs official, an earthquake with an intensity of 7.2 that happened in Compostela Valley will immediately be felt in Davao City “within less than a minute” and the magnitude will be about 7.

Because of the country’s geographical location, earthquakes happen every now and then.

“Long before Filipinos settled in this country, earthquake faults were already in place,” writes Dr. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay, a professor at the National Institute of Geological Sciences of the University of the Philippines. “These faults shaped our mountains, gave birth to volcanoes, and nurtured life with warmth from Mother Earth. They are the reason for our land’s existence, and we just can’t make them disappear.”

The DOST – which is responsible for the coordination of science and technology-related projects in the country – says three tectonic plates encircle the country: the Philippine Plate in the East; the Eurasian Plate in the West; and the Indo-Australian Plate in the South.

“The existence of several fault lines across the country is a manifestation of the movements of these tectonic plates,” DOST states. Geologists define fault lines as slip-ups or cracks in a volume of rock due to rock-mass movement.

A large fault within the earth’s crust is the result of the movement of tectonic plates. A rapid movement of a fault line may produce powerful energy that can trigger a very strong earthquake, scientists say.

The country has five active fault lines: the Western Philippine Fault, the Eastern Philippine Fault; the South of Mindanao Fault; the Central Philippine Fault; and the West or Marikina Valley Fault.

Each year, about 6,000 earthquakes are detected throughout the world, according to Grolier Encyclopedia. Of the total, 5,500 are either too small or too far from populated areas to be felt directly. Another 450 are felt but caused no damage, and 35 cause only minor damage. The remaining 15, however, exact a great toll in death and suffering, besides heavily damaging houses, buildings, and other structures.

FROM 5

Diokno said another option is for workers to work four days in the office and a day at home.

He added that if proven effective, this measure will be implemented in other government offices. (PNA) within the 5-meter buffer zone from an active fault.”

Nikola Jokic led the Denver scorers with 28 points as the Nuggets fell to 46-23, four games clear of second-placed Memphis in the Western Conference standings.

In other games Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers got back to winning ways after Sunday’s defeat to the New York Knicks with a comprehensive 123-108 road win over the New Orleans Pelicans in the Big Easy.

Apart from ground rupture, intense ground shaking may happen away from the fault and cause buildings to topple if not built to withstand the sudden movement of the ground during an earthquake. “This hazard phenomenon is the most destructive of all the earthquake hazards,” Dr. Lagmay says.

Intense ground shaking, according to Dr. Lagmay, can cause land subsidence, making the ground elevation lower than it used to be.

“In flood plains and in coastal areas, the ground can liquefy if water in between sand and gravel mixes, turning land into slurry,” the visiting scientist at the Geophysics Department of Stanford University says. “If not firmly rooted in the ground, buildings on top of the liquefied material may tilt or collapse.”

Tsunami, a Japanese term which means “harbor wave,” happens when large ocean waves are produced when faults shift vertically. “The seismic event displaces the mass of ocean water and creates a train of waves that travel as fast as a jumbo jet toward coastal areas,” Dr. Lagmay says.

When the earth shakes, unstable mountains can fall apart and generate landslides. “Some landslides are small, scarring only the beauty of mountains. But the really big ones can travel from 2 up to 120 kilometers down slope ravaging everything in its path,” Dr. Lagmay says.

Sec. Solidum said that most Filipinos are aware that ground shaking does not kill, it is the collapsed houses, buildings, and infrastructures that kill. “Many of us know that collapsed houses, buildings, and infrastructures often are a result of flawed construction practices – meaning two things: old buildings that no longer meet current standards and the other where new buildings are unfortunately constructed that do not conform to current building standards,” he said.

Sec. Solidum argued that if Filipinos believe and accept that bad construction practices cause collapsed structures during earthquakes, then destruction and death due to the earthquake are preventable. “If bad practices are replaced by good practices,” he stressed.

“Destruction and death due to earthquakes are preventable,” he reiterated. “Let us allow the tools of science to assist us in making earthquake-resilient communities to prevent destruction and death.”

During his speech, Sec. Solidum shared some of the digital innovations and applications and tools that facilitate the interactive use of hazard and risk information for decision-making and action.

In the Philippines, at least 5 earthquakes per day occur, PhiVolcs reports. “Most are small and harmless,” Dr. Lagmay claims. “It’s the really big and shattering shakes that we need to learn to live with. Though they happen decades apart, the result is always catastrophic.”

Most people fear earthquakes because they don’t only destroy buildings and other facilities but also kill people. But “people can’t be shaken to death by an earthquake,” says Dr. Lagmay.

What kills people are these seven hazards: ground rupture, ground shaking, land subsidence, liquefaction, tsunamis, landslides, and fire.

“The quake takes its toll when buildings and infrastructure topple down, when mountains tumble, and when the ground and water bodies heave,” Dr. Lagmay reminds.

On ground rupture, Dr. Lagmay says: “Any structure that sits directly on top of a fault can be seriously damaged when the fault moves. For this reason, no buildings are allowed

Among those presented were the following: How Safe is My House, a self-assessment tool that every homeowner should take; the FaultFinder, which tells how far away the home or workplace or school is from a source of the earthquake; the HazardHunter, another tool that tells the natural hazards that can affect the neighborhoods; and the GeoanalyticsPH, a tool that shows maps and figures the hazards assessment of the neighborhoods.

Also included in the innovations are PlanSmart, which gives national and local planners the necessary information needed for their development planning needs; and REDAS (Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System), a software which teaches local planners to build the exposure database and the scenarios of earthquake, tsunami, and landslide hazards that they will use in their Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUPs).

“DOST continues to develop various applications to make science more accessible in decision-making for prevention and mitigation and encourage everyone to use them as our good practice,” Sec. Solidum concluded.

As Maria Elena Paterno wrote in her book Earthquake!: “The only way to avoid disasters caused by earthquakes is to prepare for them.”