ILOILO – Disaster management officials are urging all Ilonggos to join the June 18 Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED), warning that Panay Island is vulnerable to major earthquakes due to active fault systems in Western Visayas and the region’s history of destructive seismic events.
The call comes in the wake of the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8, with authorities emphasizing the need to prepare communities for a similar worst-case scenario in Panay.
“The NSED is for entire community to come up with muscle memory on what to do in case of earthquakes,” said Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Cornelio Salinas.
Salinas stressed the importance of ensuring that residents know what to do before, during, and after an earthquake to minimize injuries and casualties.
He noted that while the recent Mindanao earthquake occurred hundreds of kilometers away, Panay Island is not immune from similar disasters because of the presence of active seismic structures, including the West Panay Fault and the Negros Trench.
The West Panay Fault is a 90-kilometer fracture cutting across Panay, specifically running through some of Iloilo Province’s most populated and fast-developing municipalities — San Joaquin, Miag-ao, Igbaras, Tubungan, Leon, Alimodian, Janiuay, and Lambunao — extending northward toward Tapaz in Capiz and Libacao in Aklan.
The West Panay Fault caused the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Panay in January 25, 1948. Widely known as the “Lady Caycay” quake, it killed at least 21 people and destroyed 55 churches — 17 of which collapsed completely. In Iloilo alone, belfries and stone churches in Jaro, San Joaquin, and Arevalo fell in ruins. The ground cracked open and waves surged along the Iloilo Strait.
The Negros Trench, on the other hand, an active subduction zone west of Panay Island. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, this trench is capable of generating earthquakes up to magnitude 8.2. Coastal communities in Panay and Negros are at risk of tsunamis, with waves potentially reaching up to three stories high and striking as quickly as 15 minutes after the initial shock.
Salinas also cited the frequent occurrence of earthquakes in Antique, particularly in the municipality of Anini-y and other towns in the province’s first district.
Meanwhile, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 has selected the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) in Mandurriao, Iloilo City as the site of this quarter’s major earthquake drill to test hospital emergency response and patient evacuation procedures.
The ceremonial launching of the second-quarter NSED is scheduled at 8 a.m., while a full-scale exercise will be conducted at 7 p.m.
The drill will include the activation of sirens and alarms, movement of hospital personnel and responders, evacuation simulations within hospital grounds, and coordinated emergency operations involving emergency lighting and response teams.
The OCD and WVMC management are encouraging employees, stakeholders, and nearby communities to actively participate and practice the life-saving “Duck, Cover, and Hold” procedure.
Authorities also reminded the public to prepare for earthquakes by identifying hazards in their communities, securing heavy furniture and hazardous materials, preparing emergency go-bags, and regularly participating in earthquake drills.
Residents were advised to stay calm during earthquakes, immediately seek cover, move away from glass windows and heavy objects, and proceed to designated evacuation areas once the shaking stops.
After an earthquake, authorities said people should remain alert for aftershocks, check for injuries, inspect utility lines and structures for damage, and immediately evacuate to higher ground if a tsunami threat exists in coastal areas./PN
