Iloilo City Hall gets quake intensity meter

 

 

Iloilo City residents may benefit from a new quake intensity meter that was installed at the Iloilo City Hall last week.

 

Personnel from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology installed the meter, GMA Iloilo's Julius Belaca-ol reported Monday.

 

The equipment, which provides information on a quake's intensity and helps authorities plan disaster responses, was acquired with the help of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

 

"They need more monitors so that they will exactly know where the epicenter is, how destructive it is and what will be the effect of that earthquake in our city or that area," building administrator Victor Facultad said.

 

Also, City Hall employees were trained on what to do in case an earthquake occurs. The City Hall building can withstand up to a magnitude-8 quake.

 

The report said the most powerful quake experienced by the city was in 1948.

 

With the meters installed in various key areas nationwide, PHIVOLCS can assess the strength of a quake and issue appropriate advisories.

 

PHIVOLCS' present intensity scale has 10 magnitudes:

 

I: Scarcely Perceptible

II: Slightly Felt

III: Weak

IV: Moderately Strong

V: Strong

VI: Very Strong

VII: Destructive

VIII: Very Destructive

IX: Devastating

X: Completely Devastating

 

 

— Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News