Tsunami alert up

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Saturday, March 12, 2011
THE most critical hours passed last night with no unusually large waves spotted near
Philippine shores, after a huge earthquake and a tsunami hit Japan yesterday.
But government warn-ed coastal residents the first waves may not always be the largest
and “these may continue for hours,” so they should avoid the coast and head inland.
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Seismologists warned that waves of up to three feet could hit between 5:00 and 7:00 last
night in 19 of the country’s 79 provinces.
Local governments evacuated thousands of residents in Albay in the Bicol Region and
Isabela Province in the Cagayan Valley.
President Benigno Aquino III took an earlier flight than scheduled from Singapore, to
oversee government’s efforts to deal with the tsunami scare.
“We haven’t received reports that a Filipino died in the earthquake,” Philippine
Ambassador to Japan Manolo Lopez said in a television interview.
An estimated 300,000 Filipinos work in Japan.
Both countries sit on the Pacific Ring of Fire where continental plates meet, causing
frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
About 20 earthquakes hit the Philippines every day but only a few are felt. The worst
such disaster to hit the country was in August 1976, when a magnitude 7.9 tremor killed
more than 5,000 people in the coastal communities in Sulu, Cotabato and
Zamboanga City.
Responding to reports from Japan yesterday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council issued this bulletin: “People whose houses are very near coastal
areas facing the Pacific Ocean are strongly advised to go farther inland.”
Nineteen provinces made the list, with the Batanes Islands, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte and
Isabela in the north expected to be the first hit.
Tsunami alert level 2 was also raised over the following provinces: Quezon, Aurora,
Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Northern Samar,
Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao
Oriental and Davao del Sur.
People living between 10 and 40 meters from the shoreline must leave immediately,
Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said.
The Coast Guard warned ships and small seacraft not to sail until the alert level is lifted.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development alerted its regional
directors to prepare supplies and personnel for possible relief efforts.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is closely monitoring situation of Filipinos in
affected areas in Japan.
The tsunami damaged properties along its path in Japan’s northeastern coast, with dozens
of cars, ships and some buildings being washed ashore.
“The Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the entire Filipino nation join
me in expressing both our most profound condolences and sympathies, as well as our
solidarity with Your Excellency and the people of Japan, as you strive to cope with this
tragedy whose devastation, it pains us, is still unfolding,” President Aquino
said in a letter to Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan.
The Embassy in Tokyo said they were exerting efforts to get in touch with Philippine
Honorary Consulates in Sapporo, Morioka and Nagoya, and members of the Filipino
community for initial reports of any injury or casualty.
In Cebu City, officials said the City Government may send a delegation of doctors and
nurses to Japan.
Acting Mayor Joy Augustus Young and Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district)
said they will organize a rescue team that will be composed of at least 20 doctors and
nurses.
“I want to make clear that they (Japan) have not yet asked us to help but we want to make
an effort that if they need us, we are here, we are ready to help,” said Osmeña.
“I will personally lead the delegation myself because I’m very grateful for the support
they have given us. They made Cebu globally competitive. Cebu was their favorite so we
should make an effort,” he said.
Among other projects, the Japanese Government helped the City with the South Road
Properties and the Cebu South Coastal Road Project.
In an emergency news conference yesterday, Young asked the public, particularly those
living near the coastline, to temporarily evacuate until the tsunami alert is lifted.
Young said they have placed the Cebu City Disaster Coordinating Council on alert to help
neighboring provinces that might be hit by a tsunami. (AFP) with Princes Dawn Felicitas
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on March 12, 2011.

Tsunami warning stirs coastal areas

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Saturday, March 12, 2011
THE tsunami alert level 2 that was issued after a magnitude 8.9 quake hit Japan has
caused a stir among residents of 19 provinces, including that of Mati in Davao Oriental
and Davao del Sur.
Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon has reportedly ordered the evacuation of
those along the Pacific coastline. Davao Oriental has the longest coastline facing the
Pacific.
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"Gideploy na ang troops didto karun para magcheck sa status sa seashore," said police
officer Merfievic Mosqueda, who at press time is assigned at Banaybanay Davao
Oriental.
An hour after the quake struck in Japan, Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat called for an
emergency meeting of the city disaster coordinating council to implement measures for
evacuation in areas that would be possibly hit by tsunami.
In Davao del Sur, another province in the region where a tsunami alert has been raised,
Provincial Police Office Director Ronald dela Rosa has ordered residents in several
municipalities to leave their homes until advised to return.
Dela Rosa ordered the evacuation of residents in the towns of Sarangani, Jose Abad
Santos, Don Marcelino, Sta. Cruz, Sta. Maria, and Malalag. These are the towns facing
the Pacific Ocean.
Alert level 2 only advises the public to be "on alert for unusual waves."
"Based on tsunami wave models and early tide gauge records of the tsunami in the
Pacific, coastal areas in Philippine provinces fronting the Pacific Ocean are expected to
experience wave heights of at most one meter. The first tsunami waves will arrive
between 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., March 11, 2011 (Philippine time) and may not always be the
largest. These waves may continue for hours," the National Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management Council (NDRRMC) stated in its bulletin.
Davao City, which is shielded from the Pacific Ocean by the Davao Oriental peninsula,
did not allow residents to be unconcerned as the Davao City Disaster Coordinating
Council through Central 911 chief Colonel Verner Monsanto ordered coastal barangays to
be on alert for unusual wave activities.
"While it (tsunami alert) will directly affect Davao del Sur and Davao Oriental, it might
slightly affect some of our coastal barangays," Monsanto said. "The council has requested
coastal barangay captains to conduct coast watching. We are closely monitoring," the
bulletin added.
Tsunami warning
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Director Renato Solidum
raised tsunami alert level 2 on all provinces facing the Pacific Ocean just over an hour
after the earthquake in Japan and shortly after the tsunami that followed.
These provinces include Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Quezon, Aurora,
Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Northern Samar,
Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao
Oriental, and Davao del Sur.
With this, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda announced the immediate
evacuation of people living in Batanes and Ilocos Norte, which are expected to be first hit
by the tsunami.
The Philippine Coast Guard said vessels cruising areas near the Pacific Ocean are no
longer allowed to leave. They were advised to seek shelter.
People are also advised to stay away from the shoreline during this period. Those who
houses are very near coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean are strongly advised to go
farther inland, said the Phivolcs.
Aside from the Philippines, other areas in the world that were placed under a lower
tsunami watch were the Marshall Islands, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Guam,
Micronesia and Hawaii.
No word yet on OFWs
Meanwhile, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) in Davao Region said
it cannot give any updates yet on the state of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Japan.
"We are just waiting for official data and release from Owwa head office," Owwa
Regional Chief Zenobia Caro said in a short telephone interview.
A staff from Owwa-Davao Region, who requested anonymity being not authorized to
speak for the office, confirmed that they have not received any directive yet from their
central office.
"Wala pay official directive kay busy pa mi sa nahitabo sa Libya, Bahrain, ug Saudi," she
said.
Commission on Filipinos Overseas' stock estimate of overseas Filipinos as of December
2008 revealed that the total number of Filipinos in Japan is at 231,930, of which 141,210
are permanent residents, 60,020 are temporary residents, and 30,700 are irregular
residents.
Permanent residents are defined as immigrants or legal permanent residents whose stay
does not depend on work contract. Temporary residents are those whose stay overseas is
employment related, and who are expected to return at the end of their work contracts.
Irregular, meanwhile, are those with no proper documents or without valid residence or
work permits, or who are overstaying in a foreign country. There are no figures more up
to date than this.
Japan rocked
The magnitude-8.9 earthquake struck Japan off its northeastern coast 2:46 p.m. Friday
(1:46 p.m. in the Philippines), triggering a 13-foot (four-meter) tsunami that washed away
cars and tore away buildings along the coast near the epicenter.
It was followed by a series of aftershocks, including a 7.4-magnitude one about 30
minutes later.
In various locations along Japan's coast, TV footage showed severe flooding, with dozens
of cars, boats and even buildings being carried along by waters. A large ship swept away
by the tsunami rammed directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma city in Miyagi
prefecture, according to footage on public broadcaster NHK.
In downtown Tokyo, large buildings shook violently and workers poured into the street
for safety. TV footage showed a large building on fire and bellowing smoke in the Odaiba
district of Tokyo.
Trains were also stopped and passengers walked along the tracks to platforms in central
Tokyo.
Footage on NHK from their Sendai office showed employees stumbling around and
books and papers crashing from desks.
Thirty minutes after the quake, tall buildings were still swaying in Tokyo and mobile
phone networks were not working. Japan's Coast Guard has set up task force and officials
are standing by for emergency contingencies, Coast Guard official Yosuke Oi said.
Officials were trying to assess possible damage from the quake but had no immediate
details. (Jereco O. Paloma/Ben O. Tesiorna/Dondon Dinoy/With Sunnex)
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on March 12, 2011.