September 25, 2020

HON. MAYOR ARLENE B. ARCILLAS

City Mayor

City of Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa City, Laguna

Dear Honorable Mayor Arcillas,

I am writing to express my strong disapproval of erecting a mall that has a fault line running along its
edges. Along with the head of the City Engineering Department and Urban Planning Office, we advise
you to not allow the proposal to push through.

The West Valley Fault is classified as active by the PHIVOLCS. The western section, known as the West
Valley Fault (WVF), is one of the two main fault segments of the Valley Fault System, which passes
through Metro Manila to the cities of Marikina, Quezon City, Pasig, Makati, Taguig and Muntinlupa[1]
and moves in a mainly dextral shift.[2] The western section of the Valley Fault crosses from Doña
Remedios Trinidad to Calamba with a length of 129.47 kilometers. It is a big risk to erect a huge
shopping mall that has a fault line running in its edges.

It could cause the city a great problem should a powerful quake hit. The fault possesses a threat of a
large scale earthquake with an estimated magnitude between 6–7 and as high as 7.6 [5] to Metro
Manila and surrounding provinces with death toll predicted to be as high as 35,000[6][7] and some
120,000 or higher[6] injured[7] and more than three million needed to be evacuated.[3]

It is not only imposing a higher threat to the people but to the city’s budget as well. If chances arrive
that a strong earthquake will hit Santa Rosa. The rehabilitation for the mall is not going to be cheap after
all. Knowing that it will receive greater impact as it lies along the edges of a fault line. The proposed
mall’s location is a huge risk for the safety of the people when disaster may strike.

The proposal given by a huge conglomerate may seem enticing and will help improve urban
development. But please bear in mind the safety of your people and the risks that may come if you
decided to push through the proposed mall. A better prevention is still better than rehabilitation.

Very truly yours,

Fauleen Angela M. Malaquilla

References:

[1] Malicdem, Ervin (16 August 2017). "Barangays and Buildings Traversed by the Valley Fault System".
Schadow1 Expeditions. Retrieved 25 September 2020.

[2] Rimando, Rolly E.; Knuepfer, Peter L.K. (2004). "Neotectonics of the Marikina Valley fault system
(MVFS) and tectonic framework of structures in northern and central Luzon, Philippines".
Tectonophysics. 415 (1–4): 17–38. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2005.11.009.

[5]Nelson, Alan R.; Personius, Stephen F.; Rimando, Rolly E.; Punongbayan, Raymundo S.; Tungol,
Norman; Mirabueno, Hannah; Rasdas, Ariel (2000). "Multiple Large Earthquakes in the Past 1500 Years
on a Fault in Metropolitan Manila, the Philippines". Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. 90
(1): 84. doi:10.1785/0119990002.

[6]Ubac, Michael (20 June 2009). "UN to Metro Manila: Ready for Big One?". Inquirer.net. Philippine
Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 30 January 2010. Is Metro Manila prepared for the Big One?

[7] "Big earthquake in Marikina Valley fault line?". Pinoymoneytalk.com. 2009-06-20. Retrieved 30
January 2010. The United Nations is advising the Philippines to be ready for an upcoming big
earthquake. A quake with a magnitude of 7 or higher on the Richter scale is sure to hit Metro Manila,
they say, but the bigger question is when exactly this will happen.

INTEGRATED PERFORMANCE TASK:

ENGLISH, SCIENCE, AP