Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — On July 30, the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will conduct a metrowide shake drill to “increase the metro’s chances of better recovery and implementation of contingencies in the event of earthquakes.”
Related: What to expect during the Metro Manila Shake Drill
No one, not even the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, can predict when and where an earthquake will strike and how strong it will be.
That’s why it’s a must we make efforts to support disaster preparedness, to prevent, for example, an aftermath like that produced by the 1990 Luzon earthquake.
Also read: What are the essential items in a survival kit?
Caught off guard
On July 16, 1990, at 4:26 p.m., a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck the northern and central parts of Luzon.
The quake lasted for 45 seconds, affecting six provinces and killing over a thousand people.
It was powerful and destructive: Buildings and houses collapsed, surfaces cracked, landslides occurred, highways were broken, and farms were flooded.
The earthquake affected the nation – physically, emotionally, and psychologically, and caused damage worth P15 billion.
Two days later, an aftershock of 5.3 magnitude occurred, which struck down more buildings and killed more people.
On Thursday (July 16), it will be 25 years since the 1990 earthquake struck.
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