“Is the Ateneo prepared for the ‘Big One?’”

“We all know that Ateneo stands in close proximity to the West Valley Fault. To address this dilemma, the University has been holding practice drills imparting awareness regarding what to do in case such disaster arrives. But to be honest, it is very idealistic to think that the result of the ‘Big One’ will be as neat as the results of the drills. These drills may be helpful, but an earthquake isn’t something we can prepare for. If anything, a total precaution against this is to reconstruct the buildings to be earthquake-resistant like in the States or Japan, but this is not feasible at the moment. Ateneo may be doing its best to equip its employees and students with the right sets of advice, but there will undoubtedly be a lot of casualties especially if the epicenter happens to be near because the structures could fall faster than students can run down from a four-story building.”

Anne Valdez
Assistant Vice President for Education Formation, Ateneo EDGE

“If the ‘Big One’ is as devastating as they say it will be, even with all the preparations and the safety procedures, Ateneo won’t be able to avoid damage. They can help lessen casualties and damage with the drills and other measures, but they cannot control all of the factors once the real thing happens. I think the drills are the best thing Ateneo can do to let people be aware of what to do during emergencies, but safety still won’t be guaranteed in those situations.”

Seline Ann Go
2 AB COM

“Honestly, I don’t think any institution can ever fully prepared for the Big One, no matter how many precautionary measures it’ll take. But I’d like to believe that Ignatian spirituality may be essential in equipping Ateneans to confront the impending strike of nature. Ateneo has done its part in conducting emergency drills and coordinating with security forces, but I think that a way to measure an Atenean’s readiness for the event would be to look into his/her response to the question: how resilient will the spirit be when it confronts such will of God? There will be different answers, but ideally one and the same bravery rooted in the discovery of God’s presence in the scenario.”

Yassy Tolcidas
3 AB MEc

“To be honest, I think Ateneo is ready for The Big One, given the structures of the buildings like Faura Hall, which was created to withstand major earthquakes. The students also know what to do in case of an earthquake. However, there would be a problem in the LST, because of where it is located. But other than that, I believe Ateneo is ready for The Big One.”

Shane Antoinette Arante
4 BS PSY

“I don’t think Ateneo, or anyone at all, can be completely ready for the ‘Big One.’ After all, earthquakes just happen without any warning. But I think with our periodic earthquake drills, we’re all somehow conditioned already how to react when the ‘Big One’ does happen.”

Dana Asperilla
2 BS APS-MSE

“Ateneo has already been taking measures for the past few years in preparation for the Big One. I heard that a lot of buildings and structures have been repaired and retrofitted. There’s also a detailed evacuation plan. Units and offices concerned are also prepared to handle the situation. Ateneo is prepared. The only question is, how good all of this preparation will be when implemented once the Big One happens.”

Alawi Sularte
4 BS AMF

“For the drill, I think it’s a good idea that we have a drill, pero dapat hindi siya announced para talaga malaman kung prepared yung students at staff. It’s also good na meron parang emergency instructions yung bawat rooms, pero dapat pino-post nila kung saan lahat ng evacuation areas sa buong school, if ‘di pa ‘to ginagawa, so medyo 50/50 pa tayo in terms of readiness, I think.”

Tatiana Cruz
2 AB COM

“I’d say we’re ready for a devastating earthquake as much as any university is. The students of Ateneo have already participated in a couple of drills aimed to practice the protocols to be done in the event of ‘The Big One.’ Though being ‘ready’ for a disaster does not guarantee that no one will be harmed, I hope Ateneo takes more steps to further minimize the casualties that may occur.”

CJ Paguia
2 BS/M AMF

“I guess we are ready, given that we have been doing earthquake drills and the reminders of procedures in classrooms and everything that we have been doing to prepare us for it, but I feel like we really won’t know for certain until the Big One actually happens.”

Rae Grepaldeo
2 BS ME

“It’s definitely hard to say whether or not Ateneo is prepared for the “Big One” because a lot of uncertainty is involved. A million things can still go wrong despite all the preparations. However, I do appreciate the University’s efforts to increase preparedness.”

Jiah Santos
4 AB MEC

“I honestly think no amount of preparation can assure 100% positive results after an earthquake, a natural calamity that cannot be predicted or traced unlike a typhoon and just suddenly occurs. Yet, Ateneo, in many aspects, has reached maximum possible preparations. If there’s one thing still needed, it is that earthquake drills should be more often and we, students, should take them as seriously as possible, especially that the campus stands on top of the fault line.”

Godwil Coronel Magat
1 AB DipIR

“It’s good to see that the Ateneo community is aware of the threats posed by a possible earthquake in the future, and that they’re making the effort to minimize damage by renovating buildings and practicing emergency evacuation drills. If it comes to an actual earthquake however, I don’t think we’ve prepared enough. Among Ateneans, I feel that there is a widespread mindset and attitude towards the practice drills that [see that] they are more of a burden and an ordeal that everyone wants to get over with as soon as possible. There hasn’t been as much of a focus on ensuring that students know exactly what the evacuation plans are in case of an emergency, or collecting feedback and releasing reviews of how well the drill went. As a result, the drills become more of a routine where everyone just follows the leader, not really sure of what’s happening or what they’re supposed to do. There could be valuable insights or inefficiencies spotted by the students during the drills, but there isn’t anything in place to address them. Overall, I think that the school should keep up its efforts, and in addition do more to better mentally prepare the entire community for the possibility of a disaster.”

Erin Tran
2 BS HS