Lessons from a Bangkok quake survivor

One of our readers, Loreann Villanueva, is a Bangkok earthquake survivor, so I asked her to share her experience and suggestions to help prepare Metro Manila for the Big One.

Hi Cito,

As promised, below are some of the lessons and observations from the Bangkok earthquake.

1)? Communication is crucial. The ability to quickly and effectively disseminate information can make a significant difference. While the hotel staff were quick to guide us to safety, I noticed that there was no EMERGENCY ADVISORY via mobile phones as how we do it in the Phl during severe typhoons.

2) Importance of having a well-defined emergency plan. Three days before the earthquake, the hotel manager gave a briefing on safety instructions and advised us on the evacuation areas in case of an emergency.

On hindsight, this was very helpful information and potentially a lesson for Phl organizations to keep reminding their employees on safety protocols and for hotels and event organizers to ensure that they do this briefing religiously.

3) Having adequate supplies and resources readily available. We faced some challenges in accessing essential items, e.g. food, water, medical supplies and other necessities to sustain us during the initial aftermath.

I did not have breakfast and lunch yet when it happened so I was really famished. My mom also did not have lunch yet and was diabetic so I needed access to food quickly. Unfortunately, all stores including 7-11 were closed.

4) Support and assistance for the elderly and the vulnerable. Me and my mom were on the 15th floor. Since elevators could not be used, the only means to go down was the stairs, which is difficult for the elderly. The hotel staff readily offered to carry my mom down.

In Phl culture where we usually have our parents living with us and staying in condo units, this must be a major consideration. At the evacuation area, we were advised to stay put and wait. On hindsight, potential area for improvement was to provide medical checks on the elderly or people experiencing anxiety/stress.

5) Readiness of hospitals to evacuate patients and render emergency services. A nearby hospital was able to safely evacuate all their patients. However, as there were emergency procedures that had to be performed, the doctors decided to conduct the surgery on the streets of Bangkok.

I wonder if we can adopt the same level of speed and urgency in attending to the sick during a crisis; or do we even have enough doctors and nurses to serve, since they also have families.

6) Managing the transportation disruption. Traffic was very chaotic in the aftermath. Travelers from airport to Bangkok took 4-5 hours. Airport management decided to help provide shuttles to help the travelers, since all transport systems were shut down – no trains, no Grab, etc.

Taking a taxi from one point to another was difficult and if you find a willing driver, they charged extremely high (I paid 400 baht taxi service for a 2-km ride to another hotel which should cost only 150). I assume this will be the same for Phl if a 7.7 earthquake occurs.

In case of a fire outbreak apart from earthquake, it would be doubly chaotic to manage these combined crises. What is very inspiring from the Thai experience is that the transportation system resumed normalcy the following day, including the airport and their railways stations.

7) Availability and speed of structural evaluation by engineers. Given several buildings were damaged, there was a need to await for the inspection and advise of the gov’t through its engineers. There were over 2,000 reports apparently.

This assessment was done with speed by the Thai gov’t. There were hotels that were immediately given a go-signal to allow guests to go back after an evaluation. But some took a while, prompting me and my mom to go to another hotel.

The question is, do we have enough engineers in Phl who will be able to inspect and provide advice within hours after the earthquake? We have the time NOW to do these inspections and determine the potential structural integrity of our buildings.

8) Support of companies and organizations for their employees. Now is the time to review and update BCPs (business continuity plan) and emergency preparedness of companies. More importantly, immediately providing support and assistance was an extremely important action.

We were immediately alerted (via email, phone, teams) to notify the company if we need any help. Our regional HR head quickly called me to offer change in accommodation that is approved by our Global Security. Our Thailand office immediately dispatched advisory to all their employees and quickly accounted for the whereabouts of each one.

9) Mental health support. This is vital in coping with the stress and trauma of such events. Providing psychological assistance and creating a supportive environment can greatly aid in the recovery process.

Looking back, the quake in Myanmar and Bangkok should be an important lesson for us in Phl in terms of crisis preparedness. When a Big One happens in Manila, quite frankly, I am not so sure if we will survive it the way Bangkok did.

And when that day comes, I am extremely fearful. As an extra measure for my family, I have advised my children to ensure to activate their share location option on their mobile phones so that we can locate each other in times of emergency. Hope these help!

*      *      *

Proverbs 27:12 “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

*      *      *

Email: [email protected]