VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur – Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices in Region 1 (Ilocos) remain on heightened alert for the possible effects of the successive offshore earthquakes in Santa Catalina, Ilocos Sur in the past few days.
PDRRMO-Ilocos Sur chief Rhon Arquelada said that they are closely monitoring 18 coastal areas in the province and have alerted local DRRMOs.
“So far, the coastal areas in the province remain under normal situation this Christmas. However, we remain on heightened alert even beyond the New Year,” he said.
Ilocos Norte-PDRRMO Marcel Tabije said that 189 coastal barangays in nine towns in the province are also under close monitoring.
The Office of the Civil Defense-Region 1 has alerted the DRRMOs in the 12 coastal towns in La Union and 14 coastal municipalities in Pangasinan through their PDRRMOs to anticipate the impact of the offshore earthquakes.
It has prepared a Tsunami Implementation Plan to establish an early warning system, safe evacuation, and a safe area for evacuees.
The OCD alerted local government units in the Ilocos region, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon to prepare their earthquake and tsunami evacuation plans following the series of tremors to ensure the readiness of residents.
The agency encouraged the LGUs to conduct earthquake and tsunami drills to test the functionality of their incident command system in line with preparedness measures.
As of 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 26, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has recorded at least 180 aftershocks following the magnitude-five main earthquake on Dec. 19.
Sixty-two aftershocks were plotted or detected by two or three seismic stations. Only two of these were felt by residents as the epicenters were offshore.
Aftershocks ranged in magnitude from 1.8 to 4.6 with depths from one to 80 kilometers. More aftershocks are possible, experts said. These earthquakes have been traced to the Manila trench.