THE Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) is stepping up ground mapping, community briefings, and structural safety measures in residential areas along major active fault lines in the city's third district.
During the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps media forum on Sept. 9, CDRRMO head Ret. PCol. Alfredo Baloran said the local government, in coordination with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the City Planning and Development Office, is preparing for the fifth phase of its "Walk the Fault" initiative next month.
"Kailangan nato i-identify kung asa gyud nag-agi ang mga fault lines because nauna ang development before the identification of the fault lines (We need to identify where the fault lines actually pass because development came before the fault lines were identified)," Baloran said.
The "Walk the Fault" initiative sends field teams to properties, residential subdivisions, and public structures built along identified fault traces.
The active Lacson and Dacudao fault lines run through mountainous areas, residential communities, and housing subdivisions in the third district. Baloran said some developments were built before the exact locations of the fault lines were identified, leaving several existing structures directly along active fault traces.
To reduce risks along the five identified fault segments, the CDRRMO plans to install additional hazard warning signs in 2026 to clearly mark high-risk areas.
While existing developments are not subject to retroactive building prohibitions, new construction near fault lines must comply with structural safety and resilience standards.
"Dili man gyud siya giingon na kung naa sa fault line, dili na ka pwede mag-develop (It does not mean that if you are on a fault line, you can no longer develop)," Baloran said. "You can develop, provided na kung magtukod man gani ug structures duol sa fault lines, make sure na your structure could withstand about intensity 8 (You can develop, provided that if you build structures near fault lines, you make sure that your structure can withstand about intensity 8)."
Community briefings before mapping
Before field teams begin ground mapping, the LGU conducts community orientations to make sure residents understand the risks and know what to do in case of an earthquake.
"One-day activity na siya. The one-day activity is an Information Education Campaign. Gipatawag to tanan tong possible na naigo. Gitapok sila sa isa ka area and they will be informed that the area is transected by the fault line and unsay dapat nga himoon (It is a one-day activity. The one-day activity is an Information Education Campaign. Everyone who could be affected is called. They are gathered in one area and informed that the area is transected by the fault line and what needs to be done)," Baloran said.
The CDRRMO also applies safety protocols to existing public facilities located near or on fault traces.
At the Mintal Gym, for example, where a fault line runs behind the stage, event organizers must conduct a safety briefing before activities begin. Organizers must inform participants about the fault line, identify evacuation routes, and explain what to do before, during, and after an earthquake.
Baloran said existing city ordinances on preemptive evacuation already provide a framework for responding to imminent hazards beyond river flooding.
But he stressed that maps, warning signs, and safety protocols are only effective when people know how to respond.
He said regular earthquake drills remain critical because repeated practice helps residents develop the instinct to act quickly when the ground starts shaking.
For the CDRRMO, the goal of "Walk the Fault" goes beyond identifying where the fault lines lie. It is also about making sure communities living along them understand the risks, prepare for earthquakes, and know how to protect themselves when a major tremor strikes. GRS
