Pangasinan: The provincial government of Pangasinan has strengthened its tsunami and earthquake preparedness by educating residents amid the movement of the Manila Trench. Pangasinan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) focal person Ron Maegan Equila, in a phone interview Monday, said they are implementing the Project PARAAN (pioneering safety, assessing vulnerabilities, risk management, addressing hazards, achieving resilience, and navigating challenges) to increase preparedness specifically for a tsunami.

According to Philippines News Agency, the PDRRMO conducts earthquake and tsunami drills for the 14 coastal local government units (LGUs) and two other municipalities that can be affected by a tsunami once an 8.4 magnitude earthquake hits the Manila Trench, a known seismic hazard. “We are done in Lingayen town and Alaminos City,” Equila added.

Equila said the LGUs were also tasked to relay the same training and information and education drive to all their coastal villages. “We are going house to house, putting hazard susceptibility stickers to determine the priorities for evacuation in times of disaster,” she said.

The project also involves data validation with the LGUs, location of hazard zone areas to determine which areas will be affected, 3D mapping, and listing of evacuation centers. Some 140 earthquakes have been recorded in the province in 2024, linked to movements of the Manila Trench. Of the total, 45 were in Bolinao, 18 in Agno, eight in Sual, six in Infanta, and Dasol.