Pangasinan officials get ready for 8-magnitude earthquake

DAGUPAN CITY — Pangasinan’s disaster response officials are now closely monitoring fault lines that could rattle the province when these move and generate a quake.

Rhodyn Luchinvar Oro, executive officer of the Pangasinan Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC), said officials had already identified villages near the fault lines.

The council, in particular, has been monitoring the Manila Trench, which is located in the West Philippine Sea.

8.2-magnitude quake

“According to simulation tools, if the Manila Trench moves, it will have a magnitude of 8.2 and it’s possible that it will generate several tsunamis,” Oro said at the start of the program for the observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month on Monday.

Other fault lines being watched closely were those on Digdig, San Manuel and east Zambales.

The Digdig fault, which is located near San Manuel town, generated a 7.7-magnitude quake on July 16, 1990 that killed five people and destroyed billions of pesos worth of infrastructure in Pangasinan.

The quake also killed thousands of people and toppled buildings in the cities of Baguio, Angeles and Cabanatuan.

Marikina fault

The PDRRMC is also monitoring the Marikina Valley fault, which cuts across Metro Manila.

“The Big One is an earthquake event projected to take place at the Marikina Valley fault,” Oro said.

He said Pangasinan has been given the task of helping the north quadrant of Metro Manila should the Big One finally strike.

But he said if a strong quake strikes Pangasinan again, residents of the province are now better prepared than 28 years ago.

He said progress had been made in developing strategies to deal with disasters, particularly quakes.

“We have continuously tried new methods,” Oro said. —Gabriel Cardinoza