Strong Quake Strikes Southern Philippines, Killing at Least 6

By Felipe Villamor
Feb. 10, 2017

MANILA — At least six people were killed and more than 100 others were injured when an earthquake
struck the southern Philippines late Friday, a disaster management official said on Saturday.

The earthquake, which the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology measured as a magnitude
6.7, hit northeast of the city of Surigao in the Mindanao region.

Renato Solidum, the institute’s director, said that the quake occurred at a depth of 11 kilometers, or
about 6.8 miles, and that as many as 30 aftershocks followed over the next 10 hours.

An official with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Ramon Gotinga, said on
Saturday that at least six people had been killed as a result of the quake and that 90 others had been
hospitalized, saying that those numbers might rise.

Mr. Gotinga retracted an earlier report in which he said that 15 people had been killed, citing confusion
in the disaster zone and mistakes in counting victims.

Surigao, about 430 miles southeast of Manila, was plunged into darkness when the quake knocked out
power. Some homes were destroyed, the police and emergency relief services there said. The military
said a bridge connecting two towns had collapsed.

Nearly 100 aftershocks have been felt, according to residents. Evacuation centers accommodated wary
residents overnight, but many returned home Saturday, said Judy Taguiwalo, the welfare secretary,
according to The Associated Press.

One resident in the area, Carlos Conseco, told the radio station DZMM in Manila that he woke up when
his bed began to shake violently.

“The cemented streets outside cracked about two feet,” Mr. Conseco told the radio station by phone
from the town of Mainit, just south of Surigao. “There was electricity last night, but it was cut off later.
We have no power since early today. We are on a blackout.”

There was no threat of a tsunami from the quake, the seismology institute said, adding that the quake
was set off by the movement along the Philippine fault zone.

More than a thousand people flocked to the grounds of the provincial capital building in Surigao, where
they spent the night. By morning, emergency crews were in the area, distributing food and other relief
supplies.

In 2013, an earthquake that measured a magnitude 7.2 struck the central provinces of Bohol and Cebu,
killing more than 220 people and injuring about 700 others.
Analysis
1. What is the cause of a earthquake related disaster ? Elaborate
2. What are the effects of a earthquake related disaster? Elaborate (Site atleast 4)
3. Why do you think casualties are high during these types of disaster? Were there lapses?

Recommendation
1. What measure would you recommended on Earthquake Related Hazards to minimize mortality and
instill disaster preparedness on the following points:
A. Pre Disaster (Site atleast 3)
B. Intra Disaster (Site atleast 3)
C. Post Disaster (Site atleast 3)
2. Present a Guide – Map on your recommendations
3. Defend the feasibility of your answer for question number 1 - 2
Violent explosion at the Philippines' most active volcano, 'hazardous' eruption expected
By Briana Montalvo
Jan 23, 2018

The Philippines' most active volcano ejected an immense and thick gray cloud of lava, ash and steam on
Monday, causing thousands of villagers in the Province of Albay to flee to evacuation centers for safety.
The midday explosion at Mount Mayon "sent superheated lava, molten rocks and steam 3.5-5
kilometers (2 to 3 miles) into the sky," the Associated Press reported.

The sudden eruption has forced nearly 27,000 people from Albay and neighboring communities to
evacuate their homes.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a level 4 alert for the Province of Albay,
notifying villagers in the surrounding community that a "hazardous eruption is imminent," and volcanic
eruption could occur within hours or days.
Alerts for Mount Mayon were previously set to level 3, due to signs of increased activity within the
mountain.

Volcanic ash and deadly debris lingered roughly three kilometers, or 1.8 miles, around the southern
plank of Mount Mayon near the no-entry danger zone. According to AP, officials have yet to report any
deaths or injuries as a result of the natural disaster.
The alert also strongly advised villagers to remain vigilant and protect themselves, as the thick gray ash
fall has obstructed visibility in certain areas

"It was like night time at noon, there was zero visibility in some areas because the ash fall was so thick,"
Albay provincial disaster response officer, Juke Nunez, said in an interview with AP.
More than 30,000 ash masks and about 5,000 bags of rice, along with water, medicine and various other
supplies have been prepared to be sent to evacuation centers, according to the Office of Civil Defense
Regional Director Claudio Yucot

Classes across all grades for students in both public and private schools throughout the province were
suspended by Albay Governor Al Francis Bichara, shortly after notification of the level 4 alert was
released. Bichara also advised that everyone, "wear their facemasks and stay indoors."
Nestled within a line of seismic faults that surround the Pacific Ocean known as the "Ring of Fire," the
Philippines is no stranger to earthquakes and volcanic activity.
In 1991, Mount Pintaubo in the northern Philippines exploded in one of the biggest volcanic eruptions of
the 20th century, killing 800 people.
Analysis
1. What is the cause of a volcanic related disaster? Elaborate
2. What are the effects of a volcanic related disaster? Elaborate (Site atleast 4)
3. Why do you think casualties still happen during this type of disasters despite a clear presentation of
warning and recommendations from PHIVOLCS? Were there lapses?

Recommendation
1. What measure would you recommended on Volcanic Related Hazards to increase early evacuation
and instill disaster preparedness on the following points (recommendation must not be PHIVOLCS
related) :
A. Pre Disaster (Site atleast 3)
B. Intra Disaster (Site atleast 3)
C. Post Disaster (Site atleast 3)
2. Present a Guide – Map on your recommendations
3. Defend the feasibility of your answer for question number 1 - 2
Philippines villages buried by landslide after Typhoon Mangkhut
By Hannah Ellis – Petersen
Sep 21 2018

Dozens of people have been buried alive and at least 22 have died after a landslide engulfed two villages
in the Philippines, triggered by extreme weather conditions in the aftermath of Typhoon Mangkhut. At
least 30 houses were crushed under earth and rubble when a hillside collapsed in Naga, Cebu province,
on Thursday. About 50 people were reported to be still trapped. Eight people were rescued from their
homes by Thursday night, with some alerting rescuers to their location beneath the rubble by texting
family members, according to the local police chief inspector, Roderick Gonzales.

“There were signs of life. Some of them managed to send text messages,” Gonzales told reporters.

This was the second fatal landslide in the Philippines this week as a result of Typhoon Manghkut. In
Itogon, 60 people – mostly miners and their families – were buried after a landslide buried a chapel
where they had sheltered from the typhoon. The death toll is currently 22 but rescue efforts continued
on Friday to recover all the bodies and this number could rise.

Both landslides occurred on land where mining was carried out, and President Rodrigo
Duterte announced the government would be investigating whether the quarrying operations had
destabilised the land and contributed to the disasters. “If I were to try to do my thing I will close all
mining in the Philippines,” Duterte said in a televised meeting of the government’s disaster response
team.

While the Cebu region was not directly hit by the destructive typhoon, which swept through the
Philippines last weekend, flattening houses and killing 88 people, it had led to an increase in monsoon
rains, which may have loosened the mountainside in Naga, an area not usually known for landslides.
Families in the area had been evacuated before the typhoon but had returned to their homes when it
became clear Cebu would be out of the typhoon’s path.

“We’re really hoping we can still recover them alive,” said the Naga City mayor, Kristine Vanessa Chiong,
of those still buried. About 600 residents of the area were evacuated again on Thursday as the risk of
further landslides remained high.

Cristita Villarba, a 53-year-old resident, described how she had heard a roar and then felt the ground
shake. “It was like an earthquake and there was this thundering, loud banging sound. All of us ran out,”
she said.

She emerged to see the home of her brother, his children and grandchildren had been buried. “Many of
our neighbours were crying and screaming for help. Some wanted to help those who got hit but there
was too much earth covering the houses, including my brother’s,” she said.

A team of 100 rescuers worked overnight trying to find survivors and bodies, but the ground was still
precarious and the rescue work was “very dangerous”, according to the police chief. “We’re running out
of time. The ground in the area is still vibrating. We’re striking a balance between intensifying our rescue
efforts and ensuring the safety of our rescuers,” Naga City councilor Carmelino Cruz said.

Analysis
1. What is the cause of a landslide related disaster? Elaborate (Site atleas 4)
2. What are the effects of a landslide related disaster? Elaborate (Site atleast 4)
3. Why do you think casualties still happen during this type of disasters despite a clear presentation of
warning and recommendations from Project NOAH? Were there lapses?

Recommendation
1. What measure would you recommended on Landslide Related Hazards to minimize casualties and
instill disaster prevention on the following points (recommendations must not be Project NOAH
related):
A. Pre Disaster (Site atleast 3)
B. Intra Disaster (Site atleast 3)
C. Post Disaster (Site atleast 3)
2. Present a Guide – Map on your recommendations
3. Defend the feasibility of your answer for question number 1 - 2