Local and national government agencies on Tuesday held an earthquake Information Education Campaign (IEC) in Barangay Riverside, Calinan District.

The Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), in collaboration with the Office of the Civil Defense XI (OCD XI), Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS), informed Barangay Riverside residents about the existence of active faults in the area.

The staff also gave flyers and posters to residents, showing what people should do when an earthquake happens.

OCD Regional Director Edgar Dayanghirang said activity was aimed at preparing and warning Dabawenyos about the locations of the fault lines.

“Kinahanglan ang katawhan adunay kaalam [asa ang fault lines] aron makapangandam. Ug ang balay nako giagian diay og liki, at least makaplano nata’g unsa atong himuon (People need to know [where the fault lines are] in order to be prepared. And if your house is on top of the fault line, at least you can plan what to do),” Dayanghirang said during his opening message.

The group conducted its first earthquake EIC in Catalunan Pequeño last year.

Dayanghirang said based on information from PHIVOLCS, Barangay Riverside has the largest population that will be affected by an earthquake.

Paz Bocboc, a resident of Barangay Riverside, said she is thankful that she now knows where the fault lines are located.

“Dati kung maglindol murag wala lang gani. Sa ngayon, nga alam na nga naay fault line, doble ingat,” Bocboc said.

The Central Davao Fault System has five segments which include the Tamugan Fault, Lacson Fault, Dacudao Fault, Pangyan-Biao Fault, and New Carmen Fault.

The Dacudao Fault which transects different barangays, including the Barangay Riverside, has a length of 18 kilometers and can produce a Magnitude 6.5 earthquake.

Dayanghirang also called on Dabawenyos to listen to the warnings issued by the PHIVOLCS and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

“Maminaw sa text, sa radio, Facebook, sa mga warning. Kay ang warning nato gikan sa PHIVOLCS [ug] PAG-ASA, kining mga warning ginahatag nila sa atoa, paminawon nato ug tuohan nato kay mga scientific ni, tinuod ni, dili ni fake news (Heed the warnings in text, radio, and Facebook, because the warning we have from PHIVOLCS [and] PAG-ASA, these warnings given to us, these are scientific, this is true, this is not fake news),” he said. CIO