The Philippine National Police (PNP) will help local governments enforce a five-meter ‘zone of avoidance’ along the Bogo Bay Fault in northern Cebu, following recommendations from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
The setting up of the zone is meant to prevent construction near the active fault line.
PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Tuesday said police units in Central Visayas have been ordered to assist in setting up safety perimeters around the identified fault trace.
‘I have directed our regional and local police units, particularly in Central Visayas, to immediately coordinate with local disaster risk reduction and management councils and implement proactive safety measures,’ Nartatez said in a statement.
He added that police stations in Bogo City and neighboring areas have been tasked to assist in ‘information dissemination, patrol vulnerable communities, and help local authorities enforce safety perimeters within the five-meter zone of avoidance.’
According to the PNP, the five-meter zone of avoidance refers to a safety zone meant to prevent construction and settlement directly on or too close to the fault line, which could move or rupture during an earthquake.
The directive follows Phivolcs’ identification of the Bogo Bay Fault as one of the active fault systems in Cebu that could pose ground rupture hazards in future earthquakes.
Phivolcs earlier advised residents and builders to avoid constructing permanent structures within five meters of either side of the fault line.
The PNP said it will also work with Phivolcs and other government agencies on community mapping, evacuation planning, and monitoring of compliance with safety rules in the affected areas.
Nartatez said police visibility will be increased in barangays at risk to prevent illegal construction, support clearing operations, and help calm residents amid possible misinformation.
‘Disasters may test our strength, but they also reveal our unity. The PNP will always be where duty calls, protecting every Filipino family,’ he said.
The initiative follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for law enforcement agencies to strengthen disaster preparedness and reduce risks in communities near active fault zones.
Moreover, the Office of Civil Defense has reinforced Phivolcs’ recommendations to deploy technical teams to Bogo City to assist the quake victims and monitor hazard zones