The threat of a tsunami and not just a massive earthquake is possible in the Negros Island Region, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) warned on Monday, October 27.
Phivolcs Director Teresito Bacolcol, speaking in Bacolod City, said that the Negros Trench is capable of generating a powerful Magnitude 8.2 earthquake and a subsequent tsunami.
He explain that in the event that a shallow magnitude 8.2 earthquake strike the island, it can generate destructive tsunamis along the western coastlines of both Negros and Panay islands, with the potential impact extending as far as Palawan and Zamboanga.
The Negros Trench, an oceanic trench located west of the Negros Island Region, measures approximately 400 kilometers long.
To save lives, Bacolcol urged residents living near the sea to immediately recognize the natural signs of a pending tsunami, which could strike within five minutes of the main shock.
He identified the critical natural indicators to include strong shaking that prevents standing up; a sudden drop in sea level and a roaring sound coming from the sea.
Bacolcol emphasized that the presence of just one of these signs necessitates immediate action: “People should immediately run for higher ground instead of stopping to take Facebook photos.”
The Phivolcs director underscored that seismic threats are not exclusive to the capital region.
“The world does not revolve around the West Valley Fault, bigger earthquakes could happen in other parts of the country,” Bacolcol remarked, referencing to the “Big One” for Metro Manila.
Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., who was also in Bacolod, highlighted that most earthquake-related fatalities result from collapsed structures, followed by landslides, fires, and tsunamis.
Solidum and Bacolcol were both in Bacolod for the Handa Pilipinas sa Bagong Pilipinas leg of the research-based innovations in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.
