Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) undersecretary, Dr. Renato Solidum, called on local government units (LGUs) to anticipate disasters in order to be prepared for them during a forum held in Dumaguete City earlier this month.

“You don’t need to know the hundred percent accuracy of things but you have to imagine the possible consequences,” he explained. “Hazards do not tell us when they come; therefore, we should anticipate if they will come.”

The DOST official suggested identifying possible hazards and assessing the potential effects.

Last April, during a visit to Bacolod City, Solidum recommended Negros Occidental LGUs prepare for the possibility of a Mt. Kanlaon eruption, along with earthquakes from the newly-discovered fault lines on the island.

During the more recent event, he pointed out the fault lines contributing to earthquakes on the island.

Solidum noted, the West Panay Fault; Negros Trench; East Negros Fault System, which includes the Central Negros Fault, West Negros Fault, Candoni Fault, and Sibulan Fault; along with fault lines in Cebu and Bohol./WDJ