DAVAO CITY – To raise awareness about the precise location of fault lines in the city, the Office of the Civil Defense XI (OCD XI), the Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS), and the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) conducted a simultaneous “walk the fault” activity on September 25.
The activity involved identifying and marking the exact locations of fault lines in eight barangays of Davao City: Tamugan, Calinan, Riverside, Los Amigos, Tugbok Proper, Bangkas Heights, Binugao, and Sirawan.
Alfredo Baloran, chief of the CDRRMO, said the initiative is part of their proactive measures to provide advance information to Dabawenyos, especially those living on top of fault lines. “We, in Davao City, should have ideas on what we should do when there is ground shaking,” Baloran said.
The participants in the walk the fault activity included residents whose houses are located on top of the fault lines. Dr. Teresito Bacolcol, the director of DOST-PHIVOLCS, emphasized the importance of knowing where the faults are. “Although we cannot prevent earthquakes, we can prepare for them,” he said.
Bacolcol also called on Dabawenyos to always be prepared, as the Philippines has 175 active fault segments. He noted that disaster preparedness is not just the responsibility of PHIVOLCS or OCD but a collective duty for everyone.