FOUR STRONG TREMORS hitting different parts of the archipelago in just 10 days is not coincidence, but should be seen as an indicator of something bigger — perhaps, the so-called “Big One.”
With this in mind, parents from Pasig City mounted a call to the city government to seriously consider the idea of imposing a suspension of face-to-face classes “as a matter of ensuring the safety of students.”
In a Facebook post, parents urged Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto to allow modular or online classes for fear of the “Big One” which had been played up in both the traditional and social media.
PHIVOLCS WARNING
Previously, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) hinted at the possibility of the so-called “The Big One” hitting Metro Manila, with the West Valley Fault System already affected by the tectonic plates movements that shook Davao Oriental, Surigao, General Santos, Iloilo and Davao provinces last Friday, Cebu City a week before that, Baguio and Cagayan over the weekend the following day.
But Metro Manila residents are also being asked to prepare for quakes not just in the West Valley Fault but also in the East Valley Fault in Rizal where 12 barangays in Rodriguez and San Mateo would be greatly affected by the tremors of magnitude 6.2 quakes.
The Big One, with a magnitude 7.2 or more, is expected to shake in varying degrees the entire Luzon.
The 100 kilometer West Valley Point would cross Bulacan, Rizal, Quezon City, Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Muntinlupa, Cavite and Laguna. A total of 80 barangays in these places mentioned are at risk of the Big One.
VICO’S INTERCESSION
Jeremy Pablo Quijano appealed to Mayor Vico Sotto to allow online classes for now “dahil po sa sunod sunod na lindol na nagaganap. Nakakatakot po lalo na sa mga students na mataas ang floor ng kanilang building. Para din po sa kaligtasan ng mga students ng buong Pasig at lalong lalo na sa Nagpayong Elementary School, na napakasikip at maraming estudyante,” reads his Facebook post.
Parents also said “sana mapansin mo po ang tinig namin mga magulang,” said 40 parents clamoring for the suspension of face-to-face classes.
The netizens whose accounts showed that they’re all from Pasig City, suggested a shift to the learning mode adopted during the pandemic — either modular or online classes.
DEPED INTERVENTION
One parent, Zil Ponesto said “Siguro DepED (Department of Education) din dapat mag decide or mismong gobyerno, may sinusunod ang mga LGUs na guidelines, hindi sila pwedeng mag decide, maliban kung may bagyo na paparating na.
Pero dun pa rin sila bumabase sa kung anong utos sa kanila, yan sabi ni Mayor dati pa. Anak ko din nasa 5th floor. Bilhan niyo po muna ng helmet and whistle mga anak niyo isabit kasama ng ID.”
Cris Sadia Catolico remarked: “Lalo’t yung mga magulang nasa trabaho tapos 2-3 ang anak na nasa school paano na kung may biglang trahedyang ganun di makapunta agad. Kawawa naman ang mga bata nakakatakot ang panahon ngayon. 3rd and 5th floor pa ang kwarto ng mga bata.”