The Bangsamoro region is pressing for stronger earthquake and tsunami preparedness as the country marks 50 years of the deadly Moro Gulf disaster which flattened swats of land and habitation in a midnight sweep of tsunami waters after a violent earthquake in the gulf.
The call was raised during the first Bangsamoro Science and Technology Week on August 26 at the KCC Mall Convention Hall in Cotabato City, where the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) discussed earthquake and tsunami hazards and the importance of science-based disaster preparedness.
In his opening message, Ibrahim Panalangin, MOST Chief Science Research Specialist-Designate of the Advanced Science and Technology Division (ASTD), emphasized the need for government agencies and communities to work together to reduce disaster risks.
‘May this discussion make us more informed, vigilant, and prepared. Through science, collaboration, and collective action, together we can build safer and more resilient communities throughout the Bangsamoro,’ he said.
Panalangin urged participants to apply what they learned in improving programs, plans and services aimed at protecting communities from disasters and as science officials called on for resilient infrastructure, informed communities and coordinated disaster response.
Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol said earthquake preparedness should go beyond knowing safety procedures such as ‘Duck, Cover, and Hold,’ saying that areas closer to an earthquake’s epicenter generally experience stronger shaking, although local ground conditions and other factors can also influence the observed intensity.
‘Since we experience earthquakes, we need to understand why they happen. Knowing how to ‘Duck, Cover, and Hold’ is not enough if the building itself does not comply with safety standards. All buildings must be earthquake-resilient,’ he said.
He also discussed the Philippine Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS), noting that shaking at Intensity VI can cause damage, particularly to vulnerable or poorly built structures, while Intensity VII and higher can produce destructive to severe effects.
He urged coastal communities to prepare for these hazards by knowing their evacuation routes and designated safe areas, particularly those in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi l, and Sulu.
For locally generated tsunamis, Bacolcol reminded residents to recognize natural warning signs, including strong or prolonged ground shaking, a sudden recession of the sea that exposes normally submerged areas, and an unusual roaring sound from the sea.
The discussion heightened in the observance of the 50th anniversary of the Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami, which struck at 11 minutes past midnight of August 17, 1976, killing as many as 8,000 residents and devastating coastal communities across 700 kilometers of coastline ravaged by the tsunami triggered by the earthquake estimated to measure at magnitude 8 in the current magnitude measurement.
The tsunami accounted for 85 percent of the deaths, 65 percent of the injuries, and 95 percent of the missing persons recorded in the disaster, according to a 1977 study by Stratta, James L., et al.
‘Five decades later, the disaster remains a reminder of the risks faced by coastal communities in the Bangsamoro and neighboring areas, particularly those exposed to earthquakes and tsunamis,’ Bacolcol said. ‘The lessons from the disaster should continue to guide preparedness efforts in communities vulnerable to these hazards.’
‘Preparedness is really a shared responsibility. It is not only the responsibility of PHIVOLCS. It’s not just the responsibility of the Office of Civil Defense or the LGUs. It is everyone’s collective duty to prepare,’ he said.
The MOST-PHIVOLCS activity formed part of the inaugural Bangsamoro Science and Technology Week, which seeks to bring science and technology closer to communities and promote their practical use in addressing challenges in the Bangsamoro Region.