Butuan City releases earthquake hazard assessment tools
By Mariesh F. Celedeña
BUTUAN CITY – In collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS), the city government of Butuan launched on March 11 the scientific publications on Butuan City Earthquake Model: Event-Based Probabilistic Seismic Risks Assessment Technical Reports, Butuan City Buildings Portfolio, and How Safe is My House Brochure in Binutuanon and Bisaya versions.
The publication will help and equip the Butuanons
to personally assess the resiliency of their houses against disaster based on
the construction materials used, renovations made, history of disaster, age and
others.
The collaboration between the city government of
Butuan and DOST-PHILVOCS started in 2022 and since then their collaboration on
hazard modeling, field validation and reviews, technical writing, among others
resulted in the crafting of the two volumes of the said technical reports or
books.
The first volume entitled “Butuan City Earthquake
Model: Event-Based Probabilistic Seismic Risk Assessment Technical Report”
determined the probabilistic motion hazard of the city, wherein the technical
team assessed 10,000 buildings. Volume two, on the other hand, consisted of the
building portfolios from 1968 to 2024.
Accordingly, Butuan City transcends in the
Philippine fault known as the Surigao segment, making the city prone to
earthquake hazards. There are barangays in the eastern part of the city that
transcended in the Philippine fault Surigao and Esperanza segments, namely;
Barangay Sto. Niño, Los Angeles, Sumilihon, Taguibo, Ampayon, Antongalon,
Basag, Camayahan, Florida, Maibu, and Sumile.
Dr. Teresito C. Bacolcol, DOST-PHILVOCS director,
said that their office has been helping local government units in their
disaster-related planning. “DOST-PHIVOLCS has been developing hazard models and
maps to help mitigate the impacts of destructive earthquakes. These models
provide important data for urban planning, disaster risk reduction and building
safety,”
Butuan City Mayor Ronnie Vicente C. Lagnada
emphasized the importance of this tool for the communities to be
earthquake-ready, highlighting that the city is situated in a delta area making
it vulnerable to disasters.
“This is a huge moment for us, this is a very important tool for us. We cannot allow the programs and developments that we have created and established to be destroyed by disasters like earthquakes. This tool will guide all the future developments in our city,” Lagnada underscored. (MFC/PIA-Caraga)
