EDITORIAL - Preparing for the worst

Two years after a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami washed away entire communities in northeastern Japan, the area is still a long way from full recovery. Yesterday victims of the twin natural disasters, which were followed by radioactive leak from damaged nuclear reactors in Fukushima, filed a class-action suit against their government. The disaster claimed around 16,000 lives, with several thousand more missing.

Visited regularly by earthquakes, Japan was considered one of the countries best prepared to deal with such natural disasters. Nothing prepared the country, however, for the 9.03 magnitude quake and the apocalyptic tsunami that followed. The most advanced nuclear reactors are designed to withstand earthquakes of only up to magnitude 8, and combined with the force of the tsunami, the Fukushima reactors did not stand a chance.

The anniversary of the Japan disaster is a good time for other countries along the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, including the Philippines, to assess readiness for earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. The Philippines has had its share of deadly earthquakes. The most powerful, with a magnitude of 7.8, killed over 1,600 people in Luzon in July 1990. In June 1991, the country was hit by the second most powerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century, when Mt. Pinatubo awakened from 600 years of sleep.

So far the country has been spared from powerful tsunamis, and there doesn’t seem to be another Mt. Pinatubo acting up. But the country has many active volcanoes, and earthquakes are common. Despite the frequency of natural calamities, however, studies conducted in recent years have shown that the country remains ill-equipped to deal with major earthquakes and other disasters.

Even in Metro Manila, the studies show that disaster preparedness is inadequate to deal with fires, power and water disruptions and health emergencies in case of a devastating earthquake. The second anniversary of the killer earthquake and tsunami in Japan is a good time to assess the Philippines’ preparedness for the worst.