By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
Many of the country’s public buildings assessed by the government must undergo retrofitting, in preparation for the “The Big One” or a massive earthquake, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said on Wednesday.
“So, as of today po, nakapag-assess na kami ng more than 21,000 public buildings, at marami rito ay irirekumenda namin for retrofitting,” DPWH Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral said in a Palace press briefing.
Cabral said the DPWH has completed the assessment of over 124 public buildings in Metro Manila alone.
She added that there is a partnership between the DPWH and the World Bank for the retrofitting of 425 public buildings to make sure “they are aligned with international earthquake standards.”
“Mayroon na rin kaming natapos na retrofitting. Ang ibig lang sabihin ng retrofitting ay iakyat ang kaniyang standard para sa international earthquake standards,” Cabral said.
Long-term solutions
Office of Civil Defense administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, for his part, said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has given a directive to look for “long-term” solutions to ensure the country’s preparedness in times of calamities.
He said it will take time, since the structural integrity of “millions of houses” would need to be evaluated and may undergo retrofitting.
“Again, ‘yung long-term solutions, hindi iyan madaling gawin subalit there’s a roadmap doon,” Nepomuceno said.
Nepomuceno said the government would also level up public participation and institutionalize partnerships with the private sector to reduce the risk of damage when “The Big One” strikes.
“The Big One” is a movement of the West Valley fault that could generate a magnitude 7.2 earthquake.
LRT, MRT
Cabral said the DPWH has also provided technical assistance to the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to assess the structural integrity of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT).
She said the agency is also ready to provide similar assistance to other agencies.
“Kapag hiningian po nila kami ng tulong para tulungan ang mga inhinyero nila at i-assess iyong structural integrity ng mga infrastructure, including ports, airports, kami po naman ay handang tumulong,” Cabral said.
“Mayroon po silang sariling technical team, at minsan ay humihingi po sila sa amin, especially in the review of the plans at assessment ng kanilang mga infrastructure,” she added.
Cabral said the DPWH has more than 2,000 Quick Response Assets, as part of the contingency plan.
Hazard assessment, strict compliance
Nepomuceno advised the public to visit https://hazardhunter.georisk.gov.ph/, a web application with a map interface that allows users to generate hazard assessment of their location.
HazardHunterPH, an application developed under GeoRiskPH, gives the public an idea about the areas in the Philippines that are prone to different hazards.
Nepomuceno also emphasized the need for strict compliance with the Building Code to ensure that all infrastructures can withstand a powerful earthquake.
“Unahin ko po muna iyong itatayo pa lang para malinawan natin. ‘Yung iitatayo pa lang ang dapat talaga, sundin na nito ‘yung strict provisions of the Building Code ‘no na matatag ito, sapat para kahit gaano kalakas ang lindol hanggang 8.5 magnitude kayanin,” he said.
“Ngayon, ‘yung mga nakatayo, engineering solutions naman po. Of course, hindi lang ang national government ang gagawa niyan ‘no. Ang engineering solutions na number one na available to everyone. Of course, hindi po iyan libre and this has to be done professionally,” Nepomuceno added.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Director Teresito Bacolcol said “The Big One” would not exceed a magnitude higher than 7.2 since “the magnitude is based on the length of the fault.”
“And hindi naman nag-i-increase, ‘yung length ng fault, so that’s the maximum magnitude earthquake that can be generated by the West Valley Fault,” Bacolcol said. (PNA)