QC mayor warns residents, businesses to stay away from West Valley fault line

Following the earthquake that devasted parts of Negros Oriental last Monday, Quezon City Mayor Herbert M. Bautista has renewed the city government’s appeal and warning to residents and businesses on not building any structures on or near the West Valley fault Line.   “Our plan is to discourage the construction of structures within the 5 meter-wide borders or buffer zone on both sides of the fault line.  We are considering declaring this buffer zone as non-residential to avoid further damage in case of ground rupture,” Bautista said in a statement.   He also urged residents living beside or on top of the fault line to “transfer to areas away from the fault line for their safety.”   Areas on the fault include: 

• Loyola Grand Villas
• Loyola Subdivision
• Ateneo de Manila University
• Barangka
• Monte Vista Subdivision
• Industrial Valley Subdivision
• Cinco Hermanos Subdivision
• Blue Ridge Subdivision
• The Acropolis
• White Plains Subdivision
• Green Meadows Subdivision

  Roads traversing the fault are:

• A. Bonifacio Ave. (Barangka)
• Marcos Highway (Barangka)
• Santolan Road (Blue Ridge)
• C5(Near St. Ignatius Village)
• Green Meadows Ave.

  “Preparedness is the key in the prevention of any life-threatening situation,” Bautista noted citing that “city government is in the process of completing the tagging, marking and installation of physical markers at the actual locations of the fault line.”   He added that the city government will distribute 147 new motor vehicles for the use of various barangay units “so they can effectively respond during emergency situations.”   Last year, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that the West Valley fault line is “ripe for movement.”  — Rouchelle Dinglasan/ELR, GMA News