The Philippines: Land of Earthquakes and Volcanoes

MOD Filipina Vol. 24 Nos. 1048, 1049 & 1050, October 4, 11 and 18, 1991
On the covers: (From left to right) Alma Concepcion,
Jeanette Chavez Ipapo, and Bernadette Cruz

          In the middle of 1991, just after Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption, broadcast journalist Lito Villarosa began a series of exposé regarding the controversial Marikina Valley Fault System. According to Villarosa, he saw a bunch of documents in the defunct Ministry of Human Settlement on its way to the junk bin. When he tried to read the contents, it turned out to be a 1976 commissioned report of the United Nations Disaster Relief Organization (UNDRO) Coordinator to the former Ministry of Human Settlement headed by then First Lady Imelda R. Marcos, detailing a systematic vulnerability analysis of Metro Manila area with regard to disasters like earthquake and flood. There was also a comprehensive study regarding the Marikina Valley Fault System. To cut the story short, he gave me a copy of this report, which was very interesting to me because it is related to my profession as a structural engineer – knowing areas where earthquake damage can be prominent is an important part of structural design.

          Together, we conducted extensive research on the subject and simultaneously revealed to the public what we have uncovered: Villarosa through the broadcast media and me through the pages of MOD Filipina magazine as an exclusive three-part special report titled The Philippines Land of Earthquakes and Volcanoes  (SEE the posted version in https://erneelawagan.blogspot.com/2009/09/philippines-land-of-earthquakes-and.html).

          Exactly a year after, the article won for me the grand prize in the Second Annual Science and Technology JournalismAward sponsored by the Philippine Press Institute and the Philippine Geothermal Inc (SEE the story featured in MOD November 13, 1992 issue).

Part I – A Study of Our Restless Terrain

 

 

Part II – The Marikina Fault System: The Truth

Conclusion – The Marikina Fault System: The Consequences

“And in that hour a great earthquake occurred, and a tenth of the city fell; and seven thousand persons were killed by the earthquake, and the rest became frightened and gave glory to GOD of heaven.” – Revelation 11:13, New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures.

October 4




OCTOBER 4

MOD Filipina Vol. 24 No. 1048, October 4, 1991
On the Cover: Alma Concepcion before entering the showbiz world

UNANG LABAS

Ang unang isyu ng La Estrella (“Ang Bituin”), isang lingguhang pahayagan, ay lumabas sa sirkulasyon. Ang pahayagang ito ay naging arawan simula noong Pebrero 1, 1946.

GLIMPSE FROM THE PAST

An illustrative portrait of Japanese emperor Emperor Hirohito (1901-1989)
on the cover of Time (October 4, 1971).

 

Oktubre 4 sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas

          Noong Oktubre 4, 1890, ang Fabrica de cervesa de San Miguel (San Miguel Beer Factory) ay nagsimula ng operasyon. Ang kumpanyang ito ay itinatag ni Enrique Ma. Barreto y de Ycaza sa San Miguel, Manila.

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Personalities and celebrities born on October 4:

1869 – Francisco Roman, revolutionary leader and military aide of General Antonio Luna – in Quiapo, Manila (d. June 5, 1899).

1940 – Francisco “Kit” Tatad, journalist and politician – in Gigmoto, Catanduanes.

1943 – German Moreno, actor, comedian, television host and talent manager – in Manila.


1964 – Francis Magalona (full name Francis Michael Durango Magalona), singer, songwriter, actor, rapper and television host – in Manila. (d. March 6, 2009).

 

1972 – Marco Polo Garcia (full name Marco Polo Adriano Garcia), actor and politician – in Quezon City.



1983 – Matet de Leon (Maria Theresa Villamayor), actress – in Manila.

Matet de Leon (with Lex Poe)

on the cover Mr. & Ms. (June 6, 2000)



1988 – Joseph Marco (full name Joseph Cecil Marco), actor and model – in Binangonan, Rizal.

Joseph Marco
on the cover of Men’s Health (July 2012)

1996 – Michelle Vito (full name Michelle Marie Reyes Vito), Spanish-Filipina actress and model.

 



Ang hilera ng mga sinaunang
bahay-Kastila sa Vigan, Ilocos Sur,
tampok sa taklob-pahina ng
The Good Life (October 1996)

Larawang Tribiya

          Ang lungsod ng Vigan ay pinanganlang Villa Fernandina ng Spanish explorer at conquistador na si Juan de Salcedo (1549-1576) noong 1572, bilang parangal sa unang anak ni Haring Felipe II (1527-1598) ng Espanya na si Fernando, na namatay nang ito’y apat na taong gulang pa lamang. Bago pa dumating ang mga Kastila, ito naman ay tinatawag na Bigan, na halaw sa salitang Tsino na mei-jan na ang ibig sabihin ay “magandang dalampasigan.”

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August 2



AUGUST 2

MOD Filipina Vol. 23 No. 1039, August 2, 1991
On the Cover: Patricia Heslet

 

Agosto 2 sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas

          Ang Monte de Piedad ay itinatag ng paring Franciscan na si Felix Huertas noong Agosto 2, 1882.

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          Isang malakas na lindol (7.3-Magnitude), na ang epicenter ay sa Casiguran, Quezon, ang tumama sa Luzon 4:19 ng madaling-araw noong Agosto 2, 1968. Ito ay nasundan ng malakas na aftershock (5.9-Magnitude). Ang Ruby Tower sa Manila ay bumagsak dahil umano sa palpak na disenyo at sub-standard na materyales. Humigit-kumulang 270 ang namatay ay halos 300 ang nasugatan.

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Personalities and celebrities born on August 2:

1799 – Mariano Guard Gomez, secular priest, martyr (Gomburza) – in Sta. Cruz, Manila (d. February 17, 1872).

1888 – Angel Arguelles, first Filipino director of the Bureau of Science (later known as the National Institute of Science and Technology) – in Batangas, Batangas (d. July 10, 1952).

1923 – Pedro B. Escuro, agronomist, geneticist and National Scientist – Nabua, Camarines Sur – (September 8, 2000).

1974 – Ron Josol (full name Ronald Allan Josol), Filipino-Canadian stand-up comedian – in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

1975 – Alma Concepcion (full name Alma Louise Concepcion), 1994 Miss Philippines-International and film actress – in Marikina.

Alma Concepcion
on the cover of Men’s Edge (April 1995).

1980 – Dingdong Dantes (real name Jose Sixto Raphael Gonzalez Dantes III), actor and model – in Quezon City.

Dingdong Dantes

on the covers of S Magazine (July 2008) and Men’s Health (December 2009).

 

Picture Trivia 

Rumanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci
on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time, both August 2, 1976 issues.

          Rumanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci was the first to be awarded a “perfect 10” in Olympic gymnastics. She garnered it first in the uneven bars event (team competition) in the Montreal Olympics on July 18, 1976. She was 14 years old.
          Do you know that the Montreal Olympics gymnastic scoreboard does not have the facility to register four numbers – 10.00. This is because, even at the start, the Olympic organizers said it is “impossible” to have a perfect 10 score. In the competition, the score that registered for Comaneci was 1.00, which initially confused the audience. But when it was made known that Comaneci garnered a perfect 10, thunderous applause followed. Comaneci garnered six more perfect score in the succeeding events.

          Comaneci is also the youngest Olympic gymnast all-around champion. This record will remained forever on the books, because in the current Olympic gymnastic regulation, participants should be at least 16-year-old before they are allowed to compete.

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