Head of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology advised schools transected by the West Valley Fault to either abandon or completely demolish the buildings in a case a massive earthquake hits the fault and causes untold destruction.
In an ANC interview on Friday, Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum Jr. said he has already advised six schools not to use school buildings on top or within the buffer zone of the West Valley Fault.
“They need to transfer the kids…It’s not that many. They need to discuss it with [the Department of Education] and school officials. Essentially, they are putting students at risk. To be fair, we don’t know when the fault will move,” Solidum said.
“It’s like gambling with their lives,” he added.
Phivolcs has already identified the schools built near or on top of the West Valley Fault.
The six are:
- Sitio Karahume Elementary School in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
- Barangka Elementary School in Marikina
- Tibagan Elementary School in Makati
- Anne-Claire Montessori in Taguig
- Alabang Elementary School in Muntinlupa
- E. Pedro Diaz High School in Muntinlupa
“They are not directly on top but they are within the buffer zone. They may be affected by the ground rupture or very strong shaking,” he said.
In the six mentioned schools, affected school buildings are West Building of Barangka Elementary School, Easternmost Building in Tibagan Elementary School, the building including the basketball court of Anne-Claire Montessori, the building near Alabang Elementary School gate, and the Values Education and Admin buildings of E. Pedro Diaz High School.
“The affected schools must make sure they do not use the rooms for cl(–foul word(s) removed–) or offices. We have advised them not to. They can use this for storage spaces or strengthen the demolished part of the building if its’s like a very long building. Demolish the part transected by the fault and reinforce the sides of the building which is away from the buffer zone or demolish the whole building totally,” he said.
The office earlier launched a comprehensive Valley Fault System Atlas which has been already distributed to local government units.
Solidum urged local government units to get information about possible fault lines where schools will be built.
The Phivolcs chief also added that coastal areas and western sections of Metro Manila may be more vulnerable during earthquakes and quakes will be amplified due to the layer of sediment.
The 100-kilometer West Valley Fault lines across 42 barangays in Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Muntinlupa, and 30 barangays in Bulacan, Laguna and Cavite.
H/T: ABS-CBN News
