MANILA – Should the projected magnitude 7.2 “Big One” earthquake strike, most of the casualties will likely come from informal settler families, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.

“If we do have the Big One, most of the casualties will come from [informal settler families] because they use — none of their buildings are constructed with the municipal permits, and they cook with kerosine and with other non-regulated cooking implements, and that is the major cause of fires,” Remulla said during the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) budget hearing at the Senate.

Remulla said most city buildings are expected to withstand the quake since they comply with the National Building Code. However, he noted that municipal building codes must be updated to improve structural safety at the local level.

The Big One refers to a possible magnitude 7.2 earthquake from the movement of the West Valley Fault, which seismologists warn could occur within the next few decades and severely impact Metro Manila.

DILG Undersecretary Marlo Iringan said the government will pilot an infrastructure audit in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon to assess structural integrity in preparation for potential disasters.

For the audit, local government units will partner with the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines and the Philippine Institute for Civil Engineers. Iringan added that LGUs may also collaborate with schools and universities that have civil engineering programs to assist in the initiative.

Concerns about the Big One have intensified after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Cebu in September, killing 79 people and injuring 559 others. The quake toppled homes and damaged key infrastructure.

A week later, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake off the coast of Davao Oriental killed eight people and injured 176 others, with tremors felt across parts of Mindanao and the Visayas.