Gov't asks public to prepare for possible quake in MM

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The government warned of earthquakes that could hit Metro Manila, asking concerned government agencies to work with the private sector to make proper preparation for the possible incident, a senior government official said today.

In an interview over a state-run radio station, Philippines' Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the concerned government agencies recently have been in constant communication with the private institutions, particularly those in Metro Manila which are near the West Valley fault line.

"We continue to coordinate with the private sector when it comes to preparedness...when the institutions are given the information, it's their responsibility to make sure that their structures are sound, or if they need retrofitting, they should do it at the soonest possible time," she said.

Valte said the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has been studying the West Valley fault in Metro Manila's city of Marikina that indicated critical movements every 200 or 400 years.

She also stressed the need for the public to cooperate in disaster preparedness.

"The government can continue to identify hazardous places, put them on the map, distribute them to local government units, but that will be for naught if our citizens do not cooperate," she said.

"You know, disaster preparedness starts at home, so we highly encourage everybody to review your family's disaster preparedness measures," she added.

A powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.2 hit central Philippines last Tuesday, leaving at least 175 people dead and displacing over 372,000 individuals.