Ground Zero: Sa Gitna ng Nagbabagong Mundo (May 1, 2011 SNBO)

A GMA News and Public Affairs Special

In a country situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, laden with volcanoes, earthquake faults and trenches, disaster preparedness is a timeless issue. And yet, with all these realities surrounding us, is the Philippines prepared for natural disasters?

Vicky Morales and a team of GMA's senior reporters travel from Luzon to Mindanao to find out which cities and provinces are exposed to natural hazards. In this Sunday's SNBO, "Ground Zero: Sa Gitna ng Nagbabagong Mundo," GMA News and Public Affairs endeavors to give the public a better understanding of one of nature's big events -- earthquakes.

From San Francisco , California , Kara David reports on the world-famous San Andreas Fault . Together with the United States Geological Survey or USGS, Kara David examines the science behind earthquakes and the steps Filipinos in the U.S. are undertaking to prepare for the next "big one."

Like the U.S. the Philippines has been described as "overdue" for a big earthquake. Experts are now studying major faults in Luzon . Chino Gaston takes a look at Baguio City , once devastated by the 1990 earthquake. More than a decade after the tragedy, it seems many lessons still need to be learned. Today, Baguio is overpopulated, with structures built on unstable ground where sink holes have been discovered.

In the Visayas, Cesar Apolinario reports from the landslide-prone province of Leyte to assess potential damage should an earthquake happen here. In the Bicol region, Mariz Umali takes a look at how Bicolanos, survivors of many natural disasters, are preparing for a tsunami scenario. Bicol is one of several provinces facing the massive Philippine Trench, known as the Philippine Deep. GMA's top divers, Doc Ferds Recio and Kiko Rustia take us to Davao and Mindoro for a survey of the underwater terrain to provide information on how trenches work.

And in major cities in Metro Manila, traversed by the deadly Valley Fault System, Vicky Morales reports on communities identified as danger zones in the event of a big earthquake. Buildings and other structures are also assessed for earthquake-preparedness.

In times of natural disasters, "ground zero" refers to the epicenter of a quake or an area with the greatest devastation. But with an increased understanding of natural threats and how our communities might be affected, it is hoped that the toll on lives and livelihood can be minimized.

"Ground Zero: Sa Gitna ng Nagbabagong Mundo" airs this Sunday, May 1, on GMA's SNBO.

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