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.

Shifting Lands from the Bosom of the Ocean

MOD Vol. 37 No. 1818, September 18, 2006
On the cover: Jenivev “Nene” Santillan Tamayo

A brief seismic history of the Philippines, with sidebars on earthquake and tsunami.

SEE also MOD magazine's three-part special report, The Philippines Land of Earthquakes and Volcanoes (October 4, 2017 post).

Also in this MOD September 18, 2006 issue is my articles on the Starliners section of MOD featuring Evangeline Lilly and some news on other Hollywood celebrities. On the Movies section are synopses of three award-winning war films.

“GOD’s sanctuary in heaven was opened, and within His sanctuary was seen the Ark of the Covenant. There came flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.

The Philippines: Land of Earthquakes

Mr. & Ms. Vol. 24 No. 15, August 15, 2000
On the front cover: Mel Gibson, with Jim Carrey (Inset)
On the back cover: Gary Valenciano for Alaska Milk print ad

This article, “The Philippines: Land of Earthquakes” is actually an updated excerpt of the 3-Part Special Features article I wrote for MOD Filipina (October 4 to 18, 1991), “The Philippines: Land of Earthquakes and Volcanos” for which I won my first Science & Technology Journalism Award given by the Philippine Press Institute.

“In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city was destroyed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and those who did not die were very afraid and gave glory to the GOD of heaven.” – Revelation 11:13, The Everyday Bible, New Century Version.