Senator reiterates call for community preparedness

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

FOLLOWING a strong tremor that hit several parts of Visayas on Monday, Senator Loren Legarda renewed her call for earthquake preparedness by both the government and the public.

Legarda said sound engineering practices and community preparedness -- which means not only government readiness but also citizen awareness on what to do when such hazards occur -- would ensure minimal damages due to earthquakes.

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“Evaluation and retrofitting of public and private infrastructure is crucial in ensuring that buildings, bridges and other similar structures can withstand strong quakes while the conduct of earthquake drills will enable our citizens to respond quickly and this will equip our people with knowledge of what to do before, during, and after such disasters,” she said.

On Monday, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the provinces of Cebu and Negros Oriental.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Intensity 5 earthquakes can cause damages to buildings that are not structurally sound. (PR)