Earthquake prone community in Metro Manila benefits from German grant

The German government granted 400,000 Euros (roughly 24 million Pesos) funding for a disaster preparedness project through the German Committee for Disaster Reduction (DKKV). The project aimed to reduce the physical and socio-economic vulnerability of earthquake prone communities in two Asian metropolises – Metro Manila in the Philippines and Kathmandu in Nepal.

In the Philippines, the project was a collaboration between the City Government of Makati, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and Earthquakes and Megacities Initiative (EMI). The two-year project came to an end earlier this year.

Specifically, Barangay Rizal in Makati City was chosen as the project site in the country. Running along the northwestern portion of Barangay Rizal is the West Valley Fault, the movement of which, according to the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (JICA 2004), can cause a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

The project involved the preparation of a risk-sensitive urban redevelopment plan for the barangay with the goal of transforming a high risk community into a safer, disaster-resilient neighborhood.Among others, the activities for residents, community leaders and experts entailed trainings on risk and site analysis as well as visual screening of buildings for seismic vulnerability. Moreover, a training program was developed for urban planners and disaster management leaders to strengthen their capacities in disaster management.

As a result, decision makers in the city government now incorporate elements of disaster prevention in their every day work. The lessons learned during the project implementation also proved to be helpful in addressing other emergencies, like the typhoon that flooded parts of Barangay Rizal last year.

August 2010