THE Dagupan City government is reactivating its past Privately Hosted Evacuation Center (PHEC) program as one of its preparations and responses to a possible 7.8 magnitude earthquake that may hit the country and could result in a tsunami that might affect Dagupan City.

This was decided during Mayor Belen Fernandez’s meeting with the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) after reviewing the PHEC plan and strategy for the barangays.

The PHEC program was launched during the first term of Mayor Fernandez, where owners of three-story buildings and residential houses and above were required and agreed to host their neighbors evacuating from a tsunami.

A report of the Public Alert Response  and Monitoring Center (PARMC) said there are 571 accredited PHEC buildings in Dagupan, and 216 owners signed a memorandum of  agreement with Mayor Fernandez during her first term as mayor.

Saying “we cannot predict the future, we can only prepare”, Fernandez believes that  in case a high magnitude earthquake called the Big One will hit Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces, a tsunami will likely occur and could affect Dagupan.

CDRRMO said that in the event the Big One strikes Metro Manila, the city of Dagupan will suffer ground shaking as well as liquefaction, aside from tsunami.

Fernandez expressed confidence that through the PHEC, some 60,000 residents of Dagupan will be able to survive from the tsunami in case if it comes.

Meanwhile, Fernandez is pushing for the completion of an evacuation center in Barangay Pugaro where residents can seek shelter in case of tsunami. The construction was started in 2018 but was discontinued by the succeeding Lim administration.

The planned evacuation center replaced the man-made tsunami hill started by Mayor Benjamin Lim but which Phivolcs itself objected because of its proximity to the sea. An evacuation center in Barangay Salapingao, an island barangay south of Pugaro, was also constructed at the time.

Fernandez expressed the need to conduct night time drills to prepare the people in case the calamity strike at night and to train members of the Barangay Risk Reduction and Management Councils to heighten their command and response capabilities.

She also sees the need to train people on first aid and boys as junior fire marshals.

The mayor also sought the purchase of additional rescue equipment and vehicles. ambulances, life vests, personal protective equipment and medicines. (Leonardo Micua)

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