Pugaro Island, pilot area for tsunami training
PUGARO, an island barangay in Dagupan City, will be the pilot area for the tsunami preparedness and training program in Region 1 that will be conducted by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
OCD Regional Director Andrew Alex Uy said the choice of Pugaro as the first site is based on the vulnerability of its location.
“We should start in a barangay which is most vulnerable so that we can make adjustments in areas that are less vulnerable,” said Uy, noting that Pugaro is directly facing the Lingayen Gulf.
Pugaro being an island makes it a challenge on the part of the OCD and its partner agencies on how to design a comprehensive tsunami-preparedness plan for the community, according to Uy.
“At this time, we should know how many boats will be needed to evacuate the whole population of Barangay Pugaro before the tsunami could hit them,” he pointed out as an example.
Uy explained that there are two kinds of tsunamis that may hit Pugaro: a local tsunami that will be generated by a high magnitude earthquake in the vicinity of Lingayen Gulf, or a foreign tsunami that may hit the shores in Pangasinan as an aftermath of an earthquake overseas.
He stressed that there is a need to prepare for a tsunami because it is possible that when the Manila Trench moves, it can trigger a tsunami that might affect the coastal areas not only along Bolinao, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte but also in Dagupan.
The training, to be participated in by barangay officials and residents, will be undertaken in partnership with the Dagupan City government, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, and the Philippine Red Cross chapter in Pangasinan.
Lessons drawn from the exercise in Pugaro will be brought to the other coastal areas in the Ilocos Region, Uy said.—LM
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