Six NCR, Bulacan schools built above the West Valley Fault – PHIVOLCS

Some five Metro Manila school buildings and another in Bulacan were transected by the West Valley Fault, according to the Geologic Disaster Awareness and Preparedness Division (GDAP) of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

The schools built above or near the fault were the Barangka Elementary School in Marikina, Tibagan Elementary School in Makati, Anne Claire Montessori in Taguig, Alabang Elementary School and Pedro E. Diaz High School in Muntinlupa, as well as Sitio Karahume Elementary School in San Jose Del Monte.

GDAP urged authorities to abandon or utilize buildings that were within five meters from the West Valley Fault for "low use."

PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum said the agency had warned the schools as early as last year against holding classes in buildings transected by the fault.

"I-ko-condemn nila 'yun... ibig sabihin, hindi mo lalagyan ng mga bata at mga guro. Puwede mong pag-imbakan ng something," Solidum said.

New building construction

At the Barangka Elementary School, the building above West Valley Fault housed the school's library, science laboratory, custodian, and classrooms of Kinder, Grade 1, Grade 2, and SPED pupils.

School Disaster Coordinator Melina Luzong admitted that the school could not presently afford to abandon its West building, nor could they designate it for "low use," as there were not enough classrooms for all their students.

But a new building to replace the structure above the fault was under construction.

"Hopefully, sana bago magkaroon ng earthquake, matapos na ito. By the month of August tapos na raw 'yan so malamang maililipat na rin sila," Luzong said.

The Valley Fault System is composed of two segments: the East Valley Fault running through Rizal, and the West Valley Fault, running through Bulacan, Rizal, Metro Manila, Cavite, and Laguna.

PHIVOLCS has been warning of possible impending activity from the West Valley Fault.

"We don't usually use the word ripe because the fact would indicate that the West Valley Fault can move in our lifetime simply because the last earthquake that happened from this fault, most likely the 1658 earthquake 357 years ago, and the interval of movement of the fault is roughly between 400-600 years.  So that's very close," said Solidum.

72 barangays

The 100-kilometer West Valley Fault transects 42 barangays in Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Muntinlupa, and 30 barangays in Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite.

The West Valley Fault could possibly generate a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, almost as strong as the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit Nepal last month, while the East Valley Fault could generate a magnitude 6.2 earthquake.

In case of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake from the West Valley Fault, 31,000 to 33,500  people could die, according to estimates based on previous studies conducted by PHIVOLCS in partnership with the the Metro Manila Development Authority, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Geosciences Australia.

The study also estimated the cost of rehabilitation at around P1.8 to 2.3 trillion.

Because earthquakes cannot be predicted, Office of Civil Defense Usec. Alexander Pama encouraged the public to be a step ahead in anticipating the disaster.

"Ang unang kahandaan sa earthquake ay ang sarili nating pamamahay. Meron ba tayo diyang pagkain kung sakali? Battery? Iyong mga paulit-ulit na sinasabi," Pama said. — JST/DVM, GMA News