Residents unwilling to evacuate

 (Photo grabbed from Google Map)
(Photo grabbed from Google Map)

NOT a single resident residing within the 60 villages transecting the five-segment Central Davao Fault System had voluntary evacuated despite warnings of vulnerable destruction of properties living atop the fault line, an official from the City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) said.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), in partnership with CDRRMO, listed a total of 60 villages in Davao City that transect in the Central Davao Fault System, which is comprised of five segments.

The partnership was part of the “Walk The Fault” activity, held June last year, with concerned agencies walked the fault line in Bago Oshiro and Mintal. The activity also aimed at informing the public, especially those who are living atop the fault line, of their vulnerability when these faults move.

The fault system includes the Tamugan Fault, Lacson Fault, Dacudao Fault, Pangyan-Biao, and the New Carmen Fault. These areas can trigger a magnitude-6 and above earthquake intensity.

CDRRMO training officer Lyndon Ancajas said they already placed markers to determine where these faults are located. Also, he said residents were already warned to voluntarily evacuate since the area is not safe for inhabitation.

Ancajas said on Thursday, March 5, that despite constant reminder from CDRRMO personnel who are deployed nearby faults to monitor the situation, he said residents are adamant.

“Despite sa among pahimangno sa mga residents nga duol sa faultline nga mag evacuate or mag-relocate, ang mga tawo dili sila manghawa tungod ginahulat nila tong legal basis (Despite constant reminders to residents living nearby the faultline to immediately evacuate or relocate, they are disregarding it because they are awaiting for the legal document),” he said on Thursday during the iSpeak media forum at the City Hall of Davao, pertaining to the city ordinance that would declare these areas a “No Build Zone”.

The official said the City Council might pass a resolution mandating residents to relocate to a safer area. However, the city cannot impose it yet without an ordinance.

He added that residents are also struggling to relocate due to financial constraints.

Ancajas, meanwhile, reiterated the city government’s call to voluntarily evacuate after Davao City was hit by a series of magnitude-6 earthquakes during the last quarter of 2019.

“Same goes with those living in floodprone areas. Di na nato hulaton na magparescue kung naigo na ta We should not wait to be rescued when an earthquake already strikes. We are looking into the prevention aspect here,” he said.

Ancajas said Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte created a technical working group in 2019 to focus on earthquake disaster plans, as recommended during the Walk the Fault.

Meanwhile, Phivolcs launched the Metro Davao Earthquake Model (MDEM) Atlas, a comprehensive mapping of earthquake prone areas, which would also be the basis in crafting the ordinance.

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