Manila: The Philippines government on Sunday said authorities are taking steps to ensure minimal risks to pupils as an estimated 23 million public schoolchildren are expected to troop back to schools on Monday.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr, in a radio interview, said government agencies concerned are working with local authorities to ensure the safety of students amid fears that a powerful earthquake could hit Metro Manila and nearby areas.
Coloma said government officials are taking necessary steps to ensure the stability of infrastructures along the West Valley Fault, a fault line traversing six cities in Metro Manila as well as the provinces of Aurora, Cavite, Laguna and Bulacan.
Experts said the fault, which has not shown significant movement over the last 300 years, is expected to move at anytime within the next several months to years.
Simulations run by both Philippines and Japanese experts said any movement in the fault line would lead to a catastrophic earthquake that could claim the lives of tens of thousands.
The Philippine government has been hard at work at reducing the risk associated with such movements in the earth’s crust and a particular focus are the safety of schools running along the fault line.
Schools are a special concern during calamities given that they house vulnerable children.
In 1990, the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Central Luzon caused the collapse of a school building in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija province that killed 154 people.
Quoting the education department, Coloma said elementary and high school students are expected to start classes across 46,624 public schools in various parts of the country.
Days ahead of the school opening, teachers had been drilled on what instructions to give to students in the event of an earthquake.
Coloma said schools would be undertaking regular earthquake drills to ensure preparedness.
For his part, education secretary Armin Luistro underscored the importance of strong leadership in disaster preparedness. He added school heads need to be prepared and must have a “strong heart and clear head” during any disaster.
Department of Education (DepEd) has existing and ongoing support to strengthen the preparedness and mitigation response of its schools and field offices nationwide. This includes quarterly emergency drills and integration of disaster risk reduction and management concepts in the curriculum.
The July 16, 1990 earthquake that rocked Metro Manila and surrounding provinces killed 1,921 people in Central Luzon and the Cordillera region.
