DOH readies for disasters, including ‘The Big One’

The Department of Health (DOH) said it is fast-tracking the development of world-class emergency medical response teams across the country to prepare for large-scale disasters, including the “The Big One” earthquake which is feared to hit Metro Manila.

- By JEL SANTOS

The Big One refers to the anticipated massive earthquake that could be triggered by the movement of the West Valley Fault, a major fault line that runs through the eastern part of Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Following the deployment of the Philippine Emergency Medical Assistance Team (PEMAT) to earthquake-hit Myanmar, DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa said the mission proved the country’s capacity to respond quickly to major disasters and underscored the need to build more such teams nationwide.