DAVAO CITY (PIA) — As Metro Manila continues to prepare for the anticipated “Big One” earthquake along the West Valley Fault, local disaster officials in Davao are advocating for a similar in-depth study to assess the potential impact of a major earthquake in the region.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Ednar Dayanghirang emphasized the need for a scientific assessment of Davao’s vulnerability to a high-magnitude earthquake. While Metro Manila has extensive research estimating that a West Valley Fault movement could result in 30,000 casualties on the first day alone, Davao lacks a comparable study on the risks posed by its own fault lines, including the Philippine Fault System.
“You have heard about ‘The Big One’ in Metro Manila. ‘The Big One’ has been well studied. However, our Philippine Fault has not yet been studied. If ‘The Big One’ happens in Davao, what will happen? That is one of the things I would like to push for,” Dayanghirang stated.
He shared that he recently held discussions with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to explore the possibility of conducting an assessment on Davao’s earthquake risks. However, PHIVOLCS has yet to initiate a formal study on the matter.
Dayanghirang plans to bring this concern to national agencies, recommending a comprehensive risk analysis that will determine the potential casualties, affected structures and overall damage should a major earthquake strike the region.
Davao Region, home to approximately 5 million residents, sits near active fault lines and is also vulnerable to tsunamis. In light of this, disaster officials stress the urgency of preparedness, especially in coastal communities.
Dayanghirang also underscored the crucial role of media in educating the public about disaster preparedness.
“Through you—the media, both private and government—we need you to educate our constituency. And when we say constituency, we are referring to the 5 million Filipino Davaoeños living in the Davao Region. They are our target audience,” Dayanghirang said. (REC / PIA XI)
