By Ruben A. Veloria

 

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines – After a series of earthquakes that hit the country just recently, the Provincial Government of Zambales launched on Monday the three-day provincial-wide training-workshop on disaster planning formulation involving key offices and line-agencies at the Travelers Hotel here.

The training-workshop dubbed “Provincial Training-Workshop on Peace and Order and Public Safety Plan Formulation” aims to come-up with an effective and well-coordinated communication and responses among local government units, national government offices and other government line agencies.

More than 200 keys personnels from provincial and municipal government units and line-agencies attended the activity, including, local chief executives, planning and development officers, chiefs of police, chief of hospitals and municipal health officers, and provincial and municipal engineering officers, among others.

Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr., who is the concurrent chairman of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said the activity will establish a well-organized and synchronized action plan in the event of calamities or disaster, or the most feared The Big One.

Scientists refer “The Big One” as to the occurrence of earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 or stronger which is expected to hit Metro Manila with its center along the West Valley Fault, which historically has its major movements occurring every 400 to 600 years.

Scientists believe that since its last major activity happened around 1658, the probability of experiencing a major jolt along the said fault is increasing each passing year.

Gov. Ebdane said, the Provincial Government, through the help and diligence of the participants, would come up a masterplan of actions that could be used when a disaster strike anywhere in the province.

“With a well-coordinated and quick response, we could minimize the effect of disaster to human lives,” the official said.