Loren: Are We Prepared for a Tsunami?

FOLLOWING THE 8.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE THAT STRUCK IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND DEVASTATED CHILE, VICE PRESIDENTIAL BET FOR NATIONALIST PEOPLE’S COALITION (NPC), NACIONALISTA PARTY (NP) AND LABAN NG DEMOKRATIKONG PILIPINO (LDP) LOREN LEGARDA TODAY CALLED ON GOVERNMENT TO MOBILIZE LOCAL CONTINGENCY EFFORTS AND PREPARE FOR ANY POSSIBILITY OF A TSUNAMI.
“Although there is no evacuation order yet, we should be prepared to evacuate those in low-lying areas to higher ground. We should get people off the coastal areas. Being prepared and reducing the vulnerability of people and communities is the best thing we can do to save lives,” she said.
“Urgent action on the part of local governments is the key to saving lives and property. We should treat this as a real threat. Better safe than sorry,” she added.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) warned coastal communities on the eastern side of the country to prepare for possible evacuation as a destructive tsunami could hit coastlines on the western Pacific following the earthquake.
Moreover, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii issued a warning for the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia and many island nations in the Pacific.
“On the personal household level, I advise everyone to keep a stash of emergency supplies like water, food, medications and other essentials sufficient for at least 72 hours. An emergency can develop with little or no warning,” she said.
The lady Senator who is the UN “champion” for disaster risk reduction in the Asia-Pacific region, co-authored the passage in the Senate of the Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery bill. Through this measure, the local and national calamity funds can be used for climate change-related activities and not just for post-disaster response.