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Midday of November 27, 2007 at exactly 12:26 pm, an earthquake
is widely felt in the campus. Some students ran to open spaces.
While others stayed in classrooms until the quake stopped. The
University claims that students and faculty members were
evacuated properly, and all emergency guidelines were followed.
When actually it’s not.
“Lahat ng mga estudyante nilabas sa room. [Dahil]
magkakaroon pa ng after shock. ‘Yung ibang mga
professors hindi [pinalabas] ‘yung mga estudyante
dahil matitigas ang ulo,” said Albert Manalo, a security
guard. In the aftermath, talking about the preceding event is
the trend. However, the crucial behaviour during the earthquake
and its aftershock is, also, overlooked.
Seismic
Activity
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS)
issued a report about the quake with a magnitude of 6.0. The
possible source, according to them, could be the Manila Trench,
which brought intensity four to involved cities including Metro
Manila.
An earthquake, as defined by the National Coordinating Council (NDCC),
is earth vibrations produced when stability of rock masses under
the surface of the earth is disturbed. These disturbances
usually occur along existing fault lines or zones of structural
weakness. Amount of destruction depends on its magnitude—the
measure of the energy released and duration of an earthquake.
Manila, as well as other provinces such as Zambales and Isabela,
experienced intensity four, which is described by PHIVOLCS as
moderately strong.
Mixed
Reactions
“Nasa quadrangle kami ‘nun, PE
[Physical Education] class namin, naramdaman namin
agad [na may earthquake]. Pagkatapos ‘nung
after shock, doon na dumami ‘yung tao [sa
quadrangle] habang kami nagkaklase pa ‘din,” says
Ana Francheska Garcia, sophomore Mass Communication student
said.
According to Engineer Bernard Abella, Safety and Security Office
(SSO) manager, security guards checked the buildings to evacuate
students and see that they are in the FEU Quadrangle. “The only
way to minimize casualty is to evacuate them to safer grounds,”
he added.
“Malakas ‘eh. Akala ko nahihilo ako kasi hindi
pa ‘ko kumakain,” says Marianne Tong, sophomore in the
Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance (IABF),
“Naramdaman namin na tumutunog ‘yung bintana kahit wala namang
nagbubukas.” During the quake, Tong said no security
officers advised them to evacuate. “May guard dun.
Pero walang sinabi [sa amin]. ‘Yung ibang
[students] nagjo-joke pa,” she recalls. Thus, Tong
stayed and continued her research in the library while the quake
occurred.
On the other hand, Institute of Arts and Sciences (IAS)
Professor Lucita Gutierrez felt the quake while teaching a
Natural Science class on the ground floor of Science Building
(SB). “The [white] board is moving tapos ‘yung
ceiling is not stable, nagmo-move,” Gutierrez recounted.
“The students were panicking. I told them to pray.
Nagkakagulo outside pati ‘yung students sa
upper floors,” She decided that it is best to let her students
stay in the room because most of them are Chinese and Koreans. “Baka
pag pinalabas ko [sila] lalo pang magpanic,”
Gutierrez says. “When worse comes to worst ‘tsaka na lang
tayo lumabas, [nagkakagulo] lang naman sa labas.
Nasa mind ko, nasa intensity 4 or 5. I just
continued my discussion [after the aftershock],” ends Gutierrez.
Abella states that some professors cannot be blamed for keeping
their students inside classrooms as means of protecting them.
“It’s the professor’s discretion, maybe that is the best way he
felt that time,” he said.
In Alfredo Reyes Hall, some PE professors are staying in the
faculty room while others are teaching. “Tumutunog na ‘yung
ceiling. Dito sa ARH wala kaming narinig na alarm.
Tuloy pa ‘din ang mga klase,” says PE professor
Romeo Cabrito recalled.
Setbacks
Clearly,
there are lapses in the emergency evacuation procedure. Some
faculty members and students remained in their class despite the
strong tremors. Some students’ claim that guards checked their
rooms, while others say that there were no security officers to
guide them. And some buildings were left unchecked by SSO to see
if all have been evacuated. The safety and security guideline
states that in the event of an emergency situation, the
evacuation of all campus buildings may be necessary. An
emergency evacuation could be required when there is actual or
potential danger to occupants of any building in campus.
Abella states that there is a committee that helps in the
preparation of programs for disasters and assists during
evacuation. Each building should, also, have designated staff
members as building coordinators or floor leaders to assist with
evacuation. A floor leader should make sure that everybody on
his assigned post has left the building.
However, some security personnel failed to warn and advise
students that there is an earthquake and evacuation is in order.
Lastly, there are no alarms or sirens that should have warned
the students, faculty members and employees of the emergency.
Abella admitted that no alarm rang because there is no central
alarming system before. “Walang alarm. Walang
connection,” said Abella. After the earthquake, SSO has set up a
permanent siren on SB fourth floor that will alert the
University. It is not yet operational and requires electrical
connections to SSO. “It’s the job of the electrical department
now,” says Abella.
There are no reported injuries or casualties in the University.
“The last earthquake showed that students could really evacuate
in four or five minutes,” says Abella. He adds that there are
no reported cracks or instabilities.
In an FEU Advocate article entitled, Taunting Danger, published
in February 2007, the annual inspection done by the Manila City
Hall engineers in compliance with the Presidential Decree (PD)
1096 or National Building code states that FEU buildings are
safe and stable.
Now, SSO is planning to beef up safety devices. Abella says that
there will be addition of fire sprinklers and alarms. A paging
system will be established to make announcements in times of
emergency. Also, close circuit television (CCTV) for monitoring
the situation in each building.
Pinning it
down
How many disasters should come before appropriate measures are
done? More than enacting procedures, guidelines should be
strictly enforced on all occasions because lives are at stake. A
lesson must be learned here: first, disaster preparedness should
extend not only from the SSO, but also to professors and
students; second drills should be applied during disasters; and
fourth, an alarm must be sounded to warn and set off evacuation
immediately. A narrow margin of time makes a big difference.
“The SSO is not a stand alone department,” Abella said.
Therefore, it should coordinate well with other offices or
personnel during emergencies. There are no casualties and no
damaged structure. But, a proactive approach on every possible
disaster that might happen is more effective than making
improvements after an earthquake. Evacuation and safety method
must be done precisely and completely because the safety of
students carries the same weight as providing them with quality
education.
SAFETY
101:
NDCC’s Disaster Preparedness plan gives the following tips when
earthquake occurs:
·If indoors,
stay until the shaking stops and you’re sure it’s safe to exit.
·If inside an
old building, take the fastest and safest way out and always
bear in mind to check others for injuries.
·While if
it’s a structurally sound building, stay there and protect
oneself from falling debris by taking cover under a study desk
or table.
·Stay away
from glass panes because it could easily break and fall.
·If outside,
stay away from power lines or anything that might collapse. Be
in an open space.
Katherine Greta Mendiola and Dwight Norman Sarga |
