Despair is most often the offspring of ill-preparedness. Living in the region of the planet where disaster is prevalent should be motivation enough to prepare for the worst at all times. Being fully-equipped comes with its all-too valuable siblings, information and awareness.
Sitting on the Pacific Ring of Fire, major faults, and surrounded by oceanic trenches, the Philippines and its citizens should be natural experts concerning earthquake. The unfortunate and disheartening fact is that Filipinos are ill-equipped with information about disasters, especially earthquakes. Hence, when disaster strikes Filipinos become re-acquainted with death and despair.
Communication and valuable information about earthquakes should be made available and comprehensible to all Filipinos. A survey done by Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) in 2017 showed dismal results wherein less-educated Filipinos and the majority of the Filipino households have very low to non-existent level of earthquake preparedness or planning. These households also pose the greatest risk to the disaster.
In HHI’s nationwide household survey, a joint project with DisasterNet Philippines, planning and preparing for earthquake in most households is on the lower end. Families with higher education are the household who are most likely prepared but still falls below ten percent (10%) of the survey. Families with members who are less educated are on the lower spectrum at below five percent (5%).
Education seems to play a large part in earthquake awareness and planning. Residences whose members are skilled professionals or with tertiary education are more acquainted with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS) Earthquake Intensity Scale (PEIS) which is used to measure an earthquake’s intensity. This familiarity with the seismic scale seemed in line with the level of education. Households with tertiary education are on 62%, secondary education graduates are at 49%, primary school graduates fall under 35%, while households who members neither finish any school nor reach any formal education are at 24%.
Age, it appears, also plays a factor in PEIS familiarity. Filipinos, aging 18 to 35, are more familiar with the scale at 51%. 36 to 55 years old were only at 48% and 56 and older are at 43%. With such dangerous percentages for the average Filipino household, it’s only right that concerned bodies and, especially, the ordinary citizen be disturbed. Why are the citizens’ awareness at these troubled rates?
Earthquake management plan should be part of household regular plans. Unfortunately, even livelihood affects a family’s disaster preparedness. Households with agriculture or fishing as main livelihod stands at 3% in earthquake preparedness planning while survey showed both skilled and unskilled workers at 8%.
HHI Resilient Communities Program Director Vincenzo Bollettino said, “Timely access to disaster information is essential as are plans for what to do in the event of an earthquake. Filipinos should be aware of the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) guidelines on disaster preparedness (Operation Listo) and acquaint themselves with evacuation routes, evacuation shelter locations and should have emergency kits prepared.”
In the past and recent earthquakes in the Philippines, these percentages and the lack of disaster information became visible. Central Luzon , who was critically hit by a 6.1 magnitude in the April 22 earthquake scored one of the lowest in earthquake preparedness among other regions with only 3%. The region holding the same dismal percentage is Western Visayas. Holding even more horrifying results are the 2% of Bicol Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Soccsksargen and 1% of Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley.
Central Visayas holds the highest level at 15%. Although Metro Manila holds the second highest percentage at earthquake preparedness and planning with 13%, which is still a low number for both regions, it still a number that shoudn’t have been considering the frightening faults and trenches around and in these places. Awareness and preparedness for such a terrible disaster should not revolve around these pecentages. It should be higher.
Earthquake awareness and preparedness should be more than accessible to ordinary Filipinos, it should also be comprehensible. Let regular folks understand the complex concepts surrounding earthquakes in terms that are relatable to everyone. Central Luzon experiences less than 40% while Central Visayas and Caraga experience earthquake at an all-time high of 98% and 97%. These numbers are staggering if you put them side by side with their planning and preparedness percentage.
Information should be available and comprehensible from university professors to fishermen living in coastal areas. These are topics that should be part of regular and serious conversations. Earthquake management plan should not be taken lightly and only considered after disaster strikes. Such numbers can give you a pause and ask necessary questions.
How many Filipinos are aware why earthquakes exists? Do they know the repecussions of a major fault movement and how it can trigger surrounding faults? How many are aware of the Pacific Ring of Fire? How many Filipinos understand the connection between earthquakes and tsunamis? How many are aware that earthquake prediction is not yet possible? How many have been fooled by these so-called predictions and inject unnecessary panic to the public? How many are aware that you can actually monitor and measure the integrity of a structure and make accurate decisions about its safety? How many are aware that such a system is possible? How many ordinary Filipinos understand the significance of structure monitoring to earthquake preparedness?
In this regard, the USHER system would like to be an active participant. USHER (Universal Structural Health Evaluation and Recording System) is a Sructural Health Monitoring system dedicated to monitorung a structure’s integrity. Going beyond monitoring, USHER also provides an insight to nature’s effect on manmade structures, assist structural engineers in making decisions, assist building owners in building code compliance, and ultimately, save lives. Through the USHER system, a myriad of information of earthquakes and structures can be made available and digestible to everyone. Such information can ripple to preparedness of planning starting with high-rise structures and, eventually, planning for an ordinary Filipino household.
USHER is part of the crowd, and hopes to lead, calling out for accessible earthquake information. USHER will certainly do its part in spreading awareness and building earthquake resiliency from public structures to private buildings. Knowing the bewildering number of lives affected by earthquakes, the USHER system aims to save lives starting with practical information about structures.
Is the structure you’re working and living in safe enough? If an earthquake strikes, will your building overcome the first hit? Is the building still safe after an earthquake? Will the structure survive the dreaded Big One? Will you still be around to witness its survival? These are hard but necessary questions and USHER wants to be certain that the answer to these questions are positive. In this case, positive means safe and alive. Be safe and arm yourself with information. It’s your greatest defense in the face of disaster.