Better alert system, communication needed for quakes

CEBU officials said much work was needed to better prepare for emergencies such as yesterday’s earthquake, especially in communicating with the public.

“I consider (this)  a lesson. There  should be an assessment when it comes to dealing with this type of alert, ” said Alvin Santillana, head of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Santillana said the Phivolcs tsunami alert level 2 only means that residents should stay away from coastal barangays and seashores.

The alert was issued  at 12:31 p.m.

“This is SOP (standard operating procedure),” Santillana said.

But many people, on hearing the alert, panicked and ran looking for higher ground or a safe area away from the sea.

Senior Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe, Cebu City police chief, said it was still fresh in the minds of many how a  tsunami swept  Japan last year, a catastrophy that is dramatized in several movies.

“Next time, advisories should be sent to the public right away to prevent panic,” Buenafe said.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama called up radio stations to appeal to the Cebuanos to calm down.

This was partly hampered by telecommunication snags.

Globe lines were down immediately after the earthquake while PLDT lines were  busy.

Santillana said he asked the help of the fire department, Citom and the barangays to go to the streets with  public address systems  to urge  people to calm down.

Several shops closed, including mall stores.

SM resumed normal operations by 1 p.m., said  SM Group Vismin PR manager RJ Leduna. No injuries or damage was reported in the mall.

Cebu Holdings Inc., which manages properties in Cebu IT Park and Cebu Business Park including Ayala Center Cebu, said  they facilitated the safe and organized evacuation of employees occupying offices in their properties.

Joy Polloso, general manager of Ayala Center Cebu,  said emergency preparedness team led  some people out of the mall.

Mayor Rama ordered the city’s 14 Kaoshiung buses sent out to fetch stranded passengers.  Four Ceres Bus units were also deployed.

Rama said a tsunami was  unlikely to happen in Cebu because its location is  protected by the neighboring islands of Bohol and Negros.

“But we can never challenge nature,” he said, adding that he updated President Benigno Aquino III on  what happened in Cebu City.

Santillana said he communicated with officials of Cebu City’s 16 coastal barangays to ask residents to move at least 20 meters away.

Rama said he was satisfied with how the evacuation of City Hall employees and officials was executed. Employees were trained for  fires, but not an earthquake.

“The employees were supposed to have an  earthquake drill last December last year but  it didn’t happen for unclear reasons,” Santillana said.

Rama ordered employees to go home.

Engineer Josefa Ylanan, city building official, said hairline cracks were found at the City Treasurers Offices in the third floor.

At the Capitol, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia had to quickly leave  the building with her guest, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos and her two sons, Borgy and Anthony Manotoc when the earthquake hit Metro Cebu.

They were followed by new reporters, who ran down the stairs and covered their heads.

The Provincial Board (PB) cancelled its session yesterday. Provincial engineer Eulogio Pelayre said the pre-war  Capitol building was  strong enough to withstand most earthquakes.

Governor Marcos lauded Capitol employees for being calm while evacuating the Capitol building.

She said Ilocanos were used to quakes in her province.

In Mandaue City, Mayor Jonas Cortes immediately ordered  school officials to suspend classes in l elementary and high schools  after receiving reports of panicked schoolchildren.

He suspended work in City Hall and  and convened the disaster council. In Lapu-Lapu City, the city engineer’s office will  inspect buildings today for any damages. Aileen Garcia-Yap, Doris C. Bongcac and Edison delos Angeles with a report from Correspondent Norman V. Mendoza