MMDA to distribute water pumps for emergency use

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is set to distribute an initial 500 water booster pumps throughout Metro Manila, particularly to areas identified as calamity-prone.

MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando said the MMDA will also form a team to train local government units basic rescue and disaster management to enable them cope up with calamities.

Fernando said the heavy-duty water pumps will be distributed to various localities in Metro Manila identified as calamity prone by the recent Metro Manila earthquake impact reduction study.

"These water pumps are necessary to help residents not only to put out ordinary fires, but also in the event of sporadic fires that may occur if an earthquake hits Metro Manila," Fernando said.

Fernando said aside from distributing water booster pump, the MMDA will also distribute 2,000 boxes of tools needed for an effective and immediate response to disasters.

He said the tool boxes will also be placed in areas identified by the Metro Manila study also as calamity-prone.

MMDA disaster management personnel, according to Fernando, will also train their local counterparts on how to handle road accidents and rescue victims.

The Metro Manila Earthquake impact reduction study, which was conducted last year and presented to the public by the MMDA and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) – with the technical and financial assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency – ran a simulation involving a 7.2 magnitude quake hitting Metro Manila.

According to the study, a possible outbreak of fires caused by exploding cooking gas tanks and gasoline stations may result in a death toll of 33,000 and up to 100,000 wounded.

The same study also said that 38 percent of the 1.3 million residential buildings were expected to sustain moderate to heavy damage, some 4,600 water pipelines were in danger of rupturing; about 30 kilometers of electricity cables could be snapped, 97 kilometers of communications cable could be destroyed, seven of 213 bridges in Metro Manila and 80 flyovers have a high probability of collapse.

Fernando said since the study came out, local governments in Metro Manila have started upgrading their disaster management plans, putting a strong focus on information, enforcement of building codes and improving the emergency crews’ response times.

Phivolcs said the cities of Marikina, Makati, Muntinlupa and Quezon have taken the lead in fine-tuning their earthquake plans.

It said there are 18 earthquake generators in the country including the Marikina fault system – which runs from Sierra Madre mountain range down to the eastern side of Manila to Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Phivolcs said the country has had several earthquakes, adding that the last major temblor was in 1990 which hit Northern Luzon, particularly Dagupan and Baguio cities. Up to 1,700 people were killed.