Gina de V thumbs down proposed Tsunami Hill
FOURTH District Rep. Gina de Venecia is not impressed by the proposal of the Dagupan City government to build a “Tsunami Hill” in the island barangay of Pugaro to serve as a refuge in case a tsunami strikes.
In an interview, De Venecia dubbed the plan as “whimsical” and opined that it needs further study.
De Venecia plans to consult the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanoloy and Seismology (Phivolcs) on the matter.
She said she would rather give out rafts made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) that the residents of Pugaro can use to leave the island and seek shelter in tall buildings in mainland Dagupan.
The congresswoman already plans to distribute one PVC raft to each of the 136 barangays in Dagupan, Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto and Manaoag.
Each raft will be equipped with 10 life vests, two ropes, flashlights and two wooden oars.
“We have already designed the PVC raft and tested it in the water and found that it will not overturn even during high waves,” De Venecia told newsmen.
She said a PVC raft is more advisable than a bamboo raft.
“PVC rafts are definitely much less expensive than a Tsunami Hill,” said De Venecia.
While she stressed that she is not expecting any disaster to come, “it is always better that all the barangays are prepared for the worst.”
She noted that there are fears that the Manila Trench in the Pacific Ring of Fire may move soon in the light of small tremors taking place in various part of the country almost daily.
“If it will indeed move, it may trigger a tsunami in the West Philippine Sea which is part of the Lingayen Gulf,” she said, adding that the real worry in a high-magnitude earthquake is the possible breach in the San Roque Dam.
COUNCILORS
At the same time, more councilors expressed their view about the proposed Tsunami Hill.
Councilor Luis Samson Jr. said designation and further development of a Tsunami Hill is good if a natural hill exists, like the famous Tsunami Hill of Guam.
But Dagupan, being one meter below sea level and whose soil is affected by liquefaction, creating a man-made hill might do more harm than good, he said.
Councilor Maybelyn Fernandez said it is better for the city to strengthen its warning system and disaster preparedness and conduct more training for preparedness than build a Tsunami Hill.
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