Gov. Lacson urges Negros LGUs to prepare for ‘Big One’

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has urged all local government units across the province to strengthen their disaster preparedness in light of warnings about a potential major earthquake from the Negros Trench, an undersea fault system west of Negros Island.

Lacson earlier this week welcomed delegates and partners during the opening of Handa Pilipinas sa Bagong Pilipinas: Innovations in Climate and Disaster Resilience National Exposition 2025 – Visayas Leg, held in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology.

In his keynote address, Lacson emphasized the importance of collective action, scientific innovation, and shared responsibility in building national resilience against both natural and human-induced disasters.

“This gathering stands as an important platform for exchange, collaboration, and innovation — bringing us together under a shared commitment to protect lives, livelihoods, and the environment,” Lacson said.

Speaking after the forum, Lacson said readiness for the so-called “Big One” should not rest solely on the provincial government but must involve every city and municipality.

“Each LGU must take responsibility for assessing the safety of their buildings and infrastructures,” Lacson said.

“We must reinforce structures to withstand an intensity six or seven earthquake — that’s exactly what DOST Secretary Renato Solidum emphasized,” he added.

His call followed a statement by Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Director Teresito Bacolcol, who underscored the urgent need to boost earthquake preparedness across the Visayas, citing renewed scientific focus on the Negros Trench.

Bacolcol described the trench as a 400-kilometer undersea fault located northeast of the Sulu Trench, capable of generating an earthquake of up to magnitude 8.2 and potentially triggering a tsunami.

He warned that public awareness has largely centered on the West Valley Fault in Metro Manila, overshadowing other dangerous fault systems like the Negros Trench.

“Preparedness must be nationwide, not just concentrated in the capital,” Bacolcol said, cautioning coastal communities to watch for tsunami warning signs such as strong ground shaking, a sudden sea-level drop, or a roaring sound from the ocean.

The Negros Trench is part of the larger Philippine Trench system, where the Sulu Sea Plate is subducting beneath the Negros Island block — a tectonic process that stores significant seismic energy.

Although the trench has long been mapped by PHIVOLCS and international geophysical agencies, it has received far less public attention than the Manila or Cotabato fault systems.

However, scientists have observed increasing seismic activity across portions of the Visayas, prompting renewed concern over the trench’s potential to produce large-scale earthquakes.

PHIVOLCS has recently expanded its monitoring stations in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental to improve early warning systems and tsunami detection.

Lacson said the province is coordinating with the Department of Science and Technology and PHIVOLCS to update disaster protocols and ensure that critical infrastructure — including hospitals, schools, and bridges — can withstand strong ground motion.

“The goal is not to alarm people, but to make sure that when the time comes, Negros is ready,” Lacson said.