Information : PHIVOLCS - Valley Fault System Maps

I never thought I would actually encounter this kind of a listing. . . .

A few weeks ago, a fellow RESP and I got a real property listing from a house owner. It's a beautiful house and lot in a very nice location in Pasig City. I was suppose to offer the property to a client, but decided to first check the location of the property with the PHIVOLCS-Valley Fault System Maps just to make sure the property doesn't straddle on an earthquake fault line. Pasig City has its own share of this geological anomaly being part of the West Valley Fault Line. I'm glad I checked because I found out that the property is literally on the edge of an active fault line.

According to Phivolcs (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology), a house near a fault line is safe as long as the house has a buffer area of five or more meters from the actual fault line. 

Many real estate service practitioners are familiar with earthquake fault lines, but many are not familiar with the availability of the Valley Fault Maps which give the exact location of the fault lines in cities and towns which are part of the West Valley Fault Line. I'm sure the owner of the house who gave me the listing is also not familiar with the PHIVOLCS-Valley Fault System Maps. And I'm very sure that he didn't know the lot he built his house on lies on a fault line. He would never have built a house in that lot if he knew about it. Perhaps, he recently found out about it and wants to dispose the property.

Anyway, I decided not to offer the property anymore, and exclude it from my listings. 

There is an important lesson to learn from this experience, as real estate service practitioners, we need to give due diligence not only on the documents of the properties we deal, but also on the environmental and geological information concerning the properties. RESPs Beware!

Pasig City Fault Line  Map

Click map to enlarge

Valley Fault System Index Map

Click link below for Pasig City Valley Fault Line Map [PDF Format] :
http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/html/update_SOEPD/hazard_maps/active_faults/VFS/pasig.pdf

Related Links :
http://www.interaksyon.com/business/63559/bgc-gas-pipes-sitting-atop-fault-lines-up-geologist-says

Information : A Seminar on Geohazards

Definition:

geohazard - can be defined as a geological state that represents or has the potential to develop further into a situation leading to damage or uncontrolled risk.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geohazard

Some of the posts in this blog are about the disasters and calamities caused by geohazards. 

In fact one of the most read post is the Metro Manila Geohazard Maps : http://theprojectreview.blogspot.com/2011/10/metro-manila-geohazard-map.html. This post has maps showing the exact location and extent of major and minor fault lines in the cities of Metro Manila. The readers' interest on this post shows their concern with fault lines and earthquakes, which are two of the geohazards we have in the country.

Unfortunately, our country abounds with geohazards. But we must learn to live with them and to reduce the risk posed by them. Most of these geohazards are natural phenomena, but some are induced  or aggravated by humans (e.g. floods and landslides) due to abuse and negligence in protecting our environment and natural resources. 

For those interested of learning more of about geohazards : earthquakes, fault lines, landslides, floods, volcanic hazards, etc., here is one seminar that you might want to attend. This type of seminar is rarely offered  and this your opportunity to attend and learn from the experts. Please check poster below for details of the seminar :

Please click poster to enlarge

Realted Link:

http://theprojectreview.blogspot.com/2011/10/metro-manila-geohazard-map.html

http://theprojectreview.blogspot.com/2012/02/information-climate-disaster-prone.html

http://theprojectreview.blogspot.com/2011/11/philippine-fault-zone-maps.html

Environment : How does an earthquake fault line actually looked?

We read and hear  about earthquake fault lines but often times what we only see are representations of the fault line on maps as red lines or broken lines. We seldom see an actual photo of a fault line because  the physical gap, breach or trench on the surface of the earth had been filled up or covered with soil and plants due to the long passage of time after it occurred. Yesterday, a picture of the actual West Valley Fault or Marikina Fault Line  was put on the front cover of the Philippines Star. Scientists of Philvocs and Geosciences Australia are digging the actual trench/fault line for research and studies in relation to frequencies of  earthquakes in Metro Manila. Here's how an actual fault line or trench looks. (See second picture below)

West Valley Fault or  Marikina Fault Line

This is the Barangay Bagong Silangan, Quezon City portion of the Marikina Fault Line

Related Link :

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=782970&publicationSubCategoryId=63

       Picture Source :   http://www.philstar.com/Default.aspx?t=031842&t=15-27-21
       Map Source     :   GMA News TV

Information : The February 6 Negros and Cebu Earthquake

The first postings that I put in this blog were : the Metro Manila Geohazard Maps and the Philippine Fault Zone Map. I just thought then that these maps will be good references for those buying real properties so that they will know the exact locations of these fault lines and avoid buying real properties straddling these fault lines. These two subjects are the most popular and most visited posts in this blog (see the list of popular posts on the side of the blog).

After the news of the earthquake in  Negros and Cebu yesterday, I checked the actual areas affected by the earthquake on both islands.  Out of curiosity I decided to compare the map of the areas affected  and the  Philippine Fault Zone Map. When I  saw the two maps, it was eerie! The actual areas affected by the earthquake in both provinces lie exactly where the fault lines are located. ( See and compare the yellow-orange/yellow-green shaded areas in the USGS ShakeMap and the red lines in the Philippine Fault Zone Map). It means that the Philippines Fault Zone map is really accurate and not just an approximation. And these maps are made to inform people of the potential dangers of these geological hazards. Take time to seriously study these maps specially if you live in these  areas where the the fault lines are located.           ( Please click and see P.F.Z. maps below)

But what I realized now (and dread) is that all these places in the map with fault lines ( red lines ) could have or would have earthquakes at anytime : now, soon or in the future. I just hope and pray that we would be ready and prepared when the "time" comes.

Areas affected by the earthquake ( yellow/yellow-green colored areas ) 

Active Faults of Negros and Cebu ( red lines )

Philippine Fault Zone Maps :

http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/images/active.faults/af_trench_with_capitals.pdf

http://theprojectreview.blogspot.com/2011/11/philippine-fault-zone-maps.html

http://theprojectreview.blogspot.com/2011/10/metro-manila-geohazard-map.html

Map Source  :  U.S. Geological Survey     Philvocs/DOST