117: Number of the government’s national emergency hotline.

1978: Year that the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), the forerunner of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), was created.  The country’s highest policy-making body involved in disaster work, the agency was reorganized and renamed through Republic Act No. 10121 in May 2010.

100: Estimated number of Philippine Red Cross chapters around the country.  The voluntary relief organization was created through Republic Act No. 95 in 1947.

45+: Number of corporate clients of Lifeline Ambulance Rescue, Inc., an Emergency Quick Response (EQR) service in the Philippines.  Lifeline also has 17 client-schools and has exclusively handled medical emergencies for the Philippine National Construction Corporation and the Metro Rail Transit.

5: Minimum number of drops of iodine per liter of clear water needed to make the water safe for drinking.  An alternative method to disinfect liquids, it is, however, not recommended for pregnant women, people with thyroid problems, and those hypersensitive to iodine.

24: Height in feet of the Big Shaker, said to be the world’s largest mobile earthquake simulator designed to help residents plan for an earthquake. Created by the American company QuakeHold!, it is equipped with a hydraulic system that simulates varying degrees of earthquake intensity.

Compiled by Schatzi Quodala, Inquirer Research

Sources: dilg.gov.ph, redcross.org.ph, lifeline.com.ph, wwwnc.cdc.gov, sfexaminer.com, www.quakehold.com, PDI Archives