The Itbayat Church sustains damage after Batanes was hit by a 5.4 magnitude earthquake before dawn Saturday. (Photos by Dominic De Sagon Asa)MANILA, Philippines — While Batanes residents are known for their keen preparation for storms since their province rests on the usual track of cyclones in the country, the two successive tremors it experienced over the weekend showed they lack readiness for earthquakes.
MANILA, Philippines — While Batanes residents are known for their keen preparation for storms since their province rests on the usual track of cyclones in the country, the two successive tremors it experienced over the weekend showed they lack readiness for earthquakes.
An infographic released by Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) in 2019 showed that Cagayan Valley, the region where Batanes belongs, is among the country’s least prepared area for a quake.
According to the infographic, only one percent of households in Cagayan Valley said they have an earthquake disaster plan.
The Cagayan region is tied in the lowest spot with Ilocos Region.
From Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
From Harvard Humanitarian Initiative
Likewise, a separate report released by HHI in 2018 showed that 89 percent of Cagayan Valley residents do not have an “emergency go bag” in the event of an emergency.
“Less than half of households have medical insurance and life, home, assets insurance is very low,” the report noted.
Residents of the Cagayan region, the report mentioned, view monetary issues as the biggest obstacle in preparing for a disaster, followed by not enough time (7 percent), and lacking skills or knowledge (4 percent).
The data from both the infographic and report were taken from a nationwide household survey conducted by HHI in March and April 2017.
A magnitude 5.4 tremor rocked Itbayat town in Batanes on Saturday morning. This was followed a few hours later by a stronger magnitude 5.9 quake.
The earthquake claimed the lives of nine people and hurt more than 60 others. /kga
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