SOME 30,000 families living at the Laguna de Bay shorelines will be losing not only their houses but also their lives if a “mega-quake” occurs.

Edgardo Manda, general manager of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), made the warning Thursday as he cited the immediate need to contain the squatting problem at the Laguna de Bay shorelines, particularly those residing at the reclaimed portion of Asia’s second largest freshwater basin.

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“Liquefaction of soil where the houses and establishments were built can eradicate properties and even the lives of approximately 30,000 families in an instant. We should do something about this. We have no time to spare,” Manda said.

The LLDA is referring to the 80-hectare parcel at Sitio Lupang Arrienda in Barangay Sta. Ana., which was transformed into a resettlement area after being used as Metro Manila clandestine trash dump for five years (from 1996-2001) is currently home of some 30,000 families.

Manda said they have also started coordination with the Taytay Municipal Government headed by Mayor Joric Gacula, National Housing Authority (NHA), Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDDC), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Rizal Provincial Police Office to make sure that the proliferation of squatters in the area is halted.

The LLDA’s initial step to curb squatting in the Laguna de Bay region, he said, is the conduct of a massive information drive to educate residents in the area.

“We are helping LGUs (local government units) to make their constituents aware that squatting along Laguna de Bay shoreline is not just destructive to the lake but is also life-threatening. Houses in Lupang Arienda were built on meters-high garbage topped with soil, and is very prone to liquefaction,” he added.

A geo-hazard map of the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau showed that part of the Laguna de Bay region, which includes Lupang Arienda, is vulnerable to the sudden movement of the Earth.

Last month, Arjun Katoh, head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, cited a 2004 study conducted by the Earthquakes and Megacities Initiatives (EMI) that Metro Manila could be hit by a temblor with a magnitude of 7 or greater that could destroy some 16,000 buildings and cause 150,000 injuries though he did not predict a date.

Even Renato Solidum, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), said lack of preparation in the event of a 7.2 quake could wreak havoc in Metro Manila, adding that it would affect around 38 percent of residential buildings, 14 percent of high-rise buildings, and 35 percent of public buildings not to mention the numerous casualties.

Solidum said the Philippine government is using the earthquake strength of magnitude 7.2 from the Valley Fault system (formerly known as the Marikina Valley Fault System) for “planning purposes” in preparation for the big quake.

It however did not mention as to when it would happen, as science cannot yet predict the exact occurrence of earthquakes.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando said the agency in coordination with LGUs and other government agencies are stepping up earthquake mitigation measures and preparedness.

He said the MMDA has already pre-positioned 10 “earthquake vans” loaded with rescue tools capable of digging through the rubbles as well as first-aid equipment while 15 more will be purchased within the year.

Some 5,000 personnel from the MMDA, local government, and military and police and even college students have been trained since 2007 in disaster rescue and management. (AH/Sunnex)