Another Overseas Filipino Worker’s (OFW) remains arrived from the earthquake in Haiti.  Though the victim’s family got dismayed when the supposed arrival has been delayed, they are somehow relieved because the remains of Grace Fabian have finally arrived.

The earthquake in 1990 claimed lives and left trauma to many families.  I experienced it myself seeing buildings and electric posts swaying like forever.  Just recently it was reported that some provinces in the Philippines experienced earthquakes.  Many are now asking, during earthquakes, how prepared are we? Earthquakes in 1990 claimed lives and left trauma to many families.

Department of Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Romeo Momo admitted there is a chance such housing units did not meet safety standards as builders could have been saving on costs.  “May buildings na constructed before 2000, lalo ang socialized housing, dahil medyo di masyadong malaki ang budget nito. These kind of buildings (may be) susceptible to high-intensity quakes (Some buildings constructed before 2000, especially socialized housing units, may be susceptible to high-intensity quakes, understandably because of budget constraints),” Momo said in an interview on dzXL radio.  In a separate interview on dzBB radio, Momo said the country’s bridges and roads are quake-safe because they have been retrofitted.  In Metro Manila, he said only four bridges have not yet been retrofitted.
“Our flyovers are guaranteed safe. High- and medium-rise buildings have complied with the design requirements of the National Building Code upgrading the standards of structures to withstand quakes of up to Intensity VIII,” he said.  (Interview’s source: GMA news)

Now, many high-rise structures in Metro Manila have reinforcements that allow them to “sway” along with seismic movements, and less of a solid structure standing on the ground.  Despite these claims, personally, do we know what to do during earthquakes?

Here are some important things to remember during earthquakes:

1. Be prepared!

-         Make sure the following are in your office table or near your area: bottled drinking water, non-perishable food  (easy open canned goods, etc), first-aid kit, torchlight and battery-operated radio with extra batteries, cellphone with extra battery;

-         Educate family members / co-workers how to turn off electricity, gas, etc.

-         Identify places in the house/office that can provide cover during an earthquake.

-         Identify a friend as your family’s emergency contact.  The address and phone number of the contact person/relative should be with all the family members.

1. What to do during earthquake!

-         Go under a table or other sturdy furniture to take cover.  Be prepared to move if your cover moves.

-         If no sturdy cover is nearby, kneel or sit close to the floor next to a structurally sound interior wall. Place your hands on the floor for balance.

-         Violent motion could cause doors to slam and flying objects could cause serious injuries,  so do not stand in doorways.

-         Stay away from windows, mirrors, bookcases and other unsecured heavy objects.

-         If in bed, stay there and cover yourself with pillows and blankets

-         Do not run outside if you are inside.  Never use the lift or elevators.

If outdoor:

-         Move into the open, away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires. Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops.

-         Avoid places where there are loose electrical wires and do not touch metal objects that are in touch with the loose wires.

-         Do not re-enter damaged buildings and stay away from badly damaged structures.

If in a moving vehicle: Drive or go to a clear area away from buildings, trees, overpasses, or utility wires, stop, and stay in the vehicle. Once the shaking has stopped, proceed with caution. Avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged by the quake.

Most of all, it is still best to always say a prayer wherever we go.  God listens even without an extra battery.

One Filipino professor, Dr. Rhoel Dinglasan, who’s located in US developed a “robust” vaccine against malaria.  The professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, has developed a new kind of transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV), which works by preventing mosquitoes from spreading the disease. In a newscast by GMA’s 24 Oras, Dinglasan, a faculty of the school’s molecular microbiology and immunology department, explained that the vaccine prevents the development of the malaria parasite in mosquitoes, thereby also preventing its transmission to humans.

An article on the website of Time magazine said that Dinglasan has developed the antigen AnAPN1 which stimulates the creation of antibodies in humans to prevent the transmission of malaria by mosquitoes.  The vaccine works, the article further stated, when a mosquito bites an inoculated person and picks up the antibodies, locking the disease up in the mosquito gut. “For the next two years, we are going to be developing the pre-clinical aspects of this vaccine to determine whether or not we could actually make enough vaccines for clinical trials,” Dinglasan said in the newscast. He added that it may take five to ten years for the vaccine to be fully developed and distributed. Previous TBVs developed against malaria have proven unsuccessful, with some causing side effects like skin disorders when tested on humans. The AnAPN1 vaccine, according to the Time article, has only been tested in human blood in the laboratory and it has yet to be determined if it causes any negative reactions in people. The Time article, nevertheless, describes Dinglasan’s TBV as “robust” as it has been proven effective against major types of malaria and all species of mosquitoes tested. Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease common in tropical and sub-tropical regions, including regions in the Americas, Asia and Africa. According to the World Health Organization, a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds. In 2006, there were 247 million cases of malaria, causing nearly one million deaths, mostly among African children.

Source:  GMA News, January 30, 2010

10:44 p.m. of 01/28/10, reports says,  nine people were killed and one was injured after a Philippine Air Force plane crashed in a residential area in Cotabato City before noon Thursday.  Eight of the fatalities, one of them an air force general, were passengers of a Nomad plane that burst into flames after plowing across three houses at Virgo Subdivision, Purok 7, Rosary Heights 9, Cotabato City, officials told GMANews.TV.

The other fatality – Inday Mondrano, who was in her sixties – died after a wall of one of the houses collapsed on her, Philippine National Police (PNP) Region 12 Senior Superintendent Felicisimo Khu told GMANews.TV.

Mondrano, whose remains were retrieved at 2:40 in the afternoon, was visiting Sheila Gumicon in the latter’s residence, Khu said.  Gumacon, who is in her forties, was rushed to the Cotabato City hospital after she was slightly injured, the PNP official added.

Residents of the other two damaged houses –owned by Gapor Camlian and Rogelio Daet – were unharmed.   The plane crash took place at 11:37 in the morning, Air Force spokesman Lt. Col. Gerry Zamudio said in a separate interview. He refused to identify the passengers until their families have been notified.  Cotabato city police chief Sr. Supt. Willie Dangane said Maj. Gen. Mario Butch Lacson, commander of the Air Force’s 3rd Air Division, was among the passengers of the plane.  He identified the other passengers as a certain Maj. Tacuboy; Capt. Ordoneo; 1st Lt. Valdez, the female pilot; 1st Lt. Lepae; Sgt. Lemara; Sgt. Mejia; and Sgt. Gosum.

Eastern Mindanao command chief Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer said the aircraft came from Davao City and had made a stopover in Cotabato City before proceeding to Zamboanga City.  Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines deputy director Ed Kapunan said the pilot informed authorities of engine trouble shortly after taking off.  ”Pag take off, about eight kilometers away nag-declare siya ng emergency at nalaglag siya (About eight kilometers away after it took off, the pilot declared an emergency and started to descend),” Kapunan said in an interview over radio dzBB.

Source: GMA News