PHIVOLCS: Recent earthquakes do not trigger West Valley Fault

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Monday said the series of strong earthquakes in different parts of the county do not trigger the West Valley Fault to move.

“Hindi po kasi magkakalayo sila,” PHIVOLCS chief Dr. Teresito Bacolcol told Unang Hirit in an interview.

(No, they will not because they are far apart.)

“Magkakaiba din ang generators ng paglindol natin. Iba ang fault system natin. Yung sa West Valley Fault, yung sa The Big One na tinatawag natin would come from the West Valley Fault,” he added.

(Our earthquake generators are different. Our fault systems are different. The one that may cause what we call The Big One would come from the West Valley Fault.)

The West Valley Fault (WVF) runs through Bulacan, Rizal, Metro Manila, Cavite, and Laguna.

Dubbed as “The Big One,” the 7.2 magnitude earthquake or stronger in Metro Manila may lead to 33,500 fatalities and 113,600 injured, based on the 2004 study of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and concerned Philippine agencies.

The strongest earthquakes in the recent seismic events in the country were the following:

• Bogo City, Cebu - magnitude 6.9 on September 30
• Manay, Davao Oriental - magnitude 7.4 and magnitude 6.8 on October 10 (doublet)
• Cagwait, Surigao del Sur - magnitude 6.0 on October 11

Fatalities in the Cebu earthquake has reached 75, while in Davao Oriental earthquake eight. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA Integrated News