WestValleyFault.com Weekly Digest - 2026-10-05

WestValleyFault.com Weekly Newsletter From the Editor Most weeks, this newsletter is about preparation — drills, budgets, retrofits. This week we got a rare thing: proof it works. When a magnitude 4.8 quake hit Occidental Mindoro on September 30, Calapan Port wasn't simulating a response. Staff evacuated, accounted for everyone, checked the facility, and kept operating — the exact procedures agencies have spent years building toward, holding up under real shaking. That's worth sitting with as you read this week's report: the Sanlakas 02-2026 exercise, new school retrofits, and Baguio and Caloocan's new resilience budgets aren't abstract. They're the same kind of preparation that just got tested for real, a few hundred kilometers from Metro Manila. Full details below. Stay informed. Prepare deliberately. — Gerry B. Founder & Publisher, WestValleyFault.com This Week's Report PNP, AFP, and PCG ran Sanlakas 02-2026, a three-day operational exercise simulating a major West Valley Fault earthquake. Metro Manila's school seismic-retrofit program expanded into Las Piñas and additional Manila buildings. Baguio approved a ₱213.7-million 2027 disaster-resilience investment plan. Caloocan advanced a ₱20-million early-warning system expansion. Calapan Port stayed safe and operational after the September 30 Occidental Mindoro earthquake (finalized at Mw 4.8). The supplied PHIVOLCS monitor recorded no M5.0+ earthquakes during September 26–October 2. Read the Full Report: Weekly Earthquake Intelligence Report — Issue #015 One Thing to Do This Week Run Your Own Sanlakas This week, PNP, AFP, and PCG tested their Big One response plan. Your household can do the same in ten minutes: walk through duck-cover-hold as a family, check that your go-bag is actually stocked, and confirm everyone knows your meeting point outside. A plan that's only ever been talked about isn't a plan yet — it's a draft. Coming Soon: WVF Resilience Projects Monitor We're building something new — a tracker following verified earthquake-resilience projects across the Philippines, spanning seismic retrofits, early-warning systems, responder training, hazard mapping, and disaster financing. A paid Resilience Project Alerts service is also in development, delivering status-change notifications and a weekly source-linked intelligence brief. More details — and the link to explore it — coming in an upcoming issue. Stay tuned. News Brief (New) DOST Brings Business Continuity and Facility Resilience Into HANDA Pilipinas PHIVOLCS, Partners Set Oct. 24 Tsunami Awareness Campaign for Metro Manila DPWH Opens Package 11 for Two More Manila School Buildings Calapan Port Tests Earthquake Procedures After Mindoro Tremor PNP, AFP and PCG Launch Three-Day Test of 'Big One' Response Mechanisms See more news articles on WVF News Bulletin For Remote Workers & Travelers Living or working away from home? Preparedness isn't only about earthquakes. If you travel frequently or work remotely abroad, having appropriate medical coverage is another part of planning for the unexpected. Explore SafetyWing insurance for digital nomads and international travelers. (Affiliate disclosure: WestValleyFault.com may earn a commission if you purchase through this link, at no additional cost to you.) Stay Connected f in X IG ▶ If you enjoyed this issue, pass it along WestValleyFault.com 41 Kamagong, Marikina Philippines You received this email because you signed up on our website or made a purchase from us. Unsubscribe