Ready tsunami evacuation plans, LGUs told after Ilocos Sur earthquakes

MANILA — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has alerted local government units (LGUs) in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon to prepare their earthquake and tsunami evacuation plans after a series of earthquakes occurred offshore of Ilocos Sur in the past few days.

OCD chief Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno called for an immediate meeting and ordered regional directors in these areas to ensure readiness of their localities for potential tsunamis.

“Regional Directors 1, 2, and 3, please work closely and urgently with your partner [national government agencies] and LGUs, especially the [Department of the Interior and Local Government],” Nepomuceno said in a statement Saturday.

“Check preparations for earthquakes, with a possible tsunami resulting from the movement of the Manila Trench. Delve into the details as discussed in the Inter-Agency Coordinating Cell meeting today. I understand that your areas are not as prepared as we desire, but we must remedy this situation now,” he added.

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Nepomuceno said the ongoing tremors west of Ilocos Sur have diminished, although there is still an opportunity to enhance earthquake preparedness significantly.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) recorded 49 earthquakes from Dec. 17 to 20 off Santa Catalina, Ilocos Sur.

The strongest recorded quake was a magnitude 5.0 tremor on Dec. 19 at around 9 a.m.

The sequence earthquake, based on Phivolcs’ study, is associated with the active subduction along the Manila Trench, a long, narrow depression in the seafloor located west of the islands of Luzon and Mindoro.

The OCD chief underscored the urgency of community readiness.

“Double-check preparations and ‘reactions’ (not just responses after an incident) in case of a tsunami, assuming that warnings are effective. What can be done in 20 minutes by the vulnerable communities?” he said.

“I know it’s challenging, especially since we have not yet achieved our ideal level of preparedness and with the holidays approaching. But please do your best despite the limitations,” he added.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) has issued a memorandum directing OCD Regional Offices I, II, and III to undertake specific actions related to local tsunami preparedness.

Signed by Director Cesar Idio, officer in charge of the Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator for Operations, the order outlines several key actions, including drafting a tsunami evacuation plan. (with Priam Nepomuceno)