MANILA, Philippines – Just like Nepal, which was struck by major earthquakes in the last 3 weeks, the Philippines is also due for a powerful one.

The "Big One," which experts say may happen in our lifetime, could strike once the West Valley Fault moves.

The West Valley Fault, which traverses various parts of Metro Manila and surrounding provinces, is expected to greatly affect the country since the region is not only highly populated, it also hosts the seat of government and the country’s business capital.

Before the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and and Seismology (Phivolcs) released its latest and more detailed maps of the Valley Fault System, quite a number of studies had been conducted, simulating the impact of an earthquake in Metro Manila. (READ: Fault-finders, storm-chasers: Hazard mapping in the PH)

In 2004, Phivolcs and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), together with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), conducted a study called the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS). It analyzed different earthquake scenarios in Metro Manila.

In 2010, further studies were conducted as scientific agencies, called the Collective Strengthening on Community Awareness on Natural Disasters (CSCAND), started the Greater Metro Manila Risk Assessment Project Risk Analysis Project (GMMA-RAP). It allowed agencies to create maps that determine the depth of hazards present in an area, the extent and the frequency of hazards, and also the worst case scenario through modeling.

The 3-year project, funded by the AusAID through the UNDP, focuses on Metro Manila, but also includes portions of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna.

Various information campaigns have been done to disseminate findings from these studies and educate people on how to prepare for this potentially devastating earthquake.

But are we Filipinos really ready for it?

ugh. i wish this calamity won't happened, after that storm and now this? they say by praying nothing's impossible, then how about the haiyan storm?! my famil-no all of us prayed that may the storm stop. but nooo! it still happened! what more of that earthquake that we can't even predict!? only God knows blah blah!?

>>1 LIIIIINK

Dudes how can I help please tell me

>>4 There;s gotta be some volunteer or donation pages so just search for em.

>>5 Petitions too, probably.

Obviously, this should be the government's problem. They are the ones in-charge of the country's safety or at least provide the necessary steps.

"Earthquakes are a necessary side-effect of plate tectonics, so if there were no earthquakes, that would imply no plate tectonics, which would be very bad for any number of reasons. Heat, mountain building, erosion, control of the continents, etc. etc. Plate tectonics is very important. The thing is that yes, all of these natural disasters do, in the end, play a role in keeping what we know as Earth together. But these are natural disasters. Building the Chernobyl nuclear plant with substandard parts based on an already substandard design, then letting it f__king burn for a month and a half, devastating most of Ukraine and even points further... that sucks, and that's not a natural disaster. " Peace, yo. ~!