5 heritage buildings ‘unsafe,’ one needs urgent repairs

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Five heritage buildings in the City Proper district have been declared structurally unsafe, while one requires immediate repairs due to its deteriorating condition, according to the Office of the Building Official.

OBO head Engr. Mavi Gustilo said they inspected 80 buildings within the Central Business District, the city’s old commercial area, following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu.

“What we are checking here in these buildings is the major structural components, such as posts and beams, and if cracks are found in the supports or beams, then that is already dangerous,” she said.

“The earthquake is considered the ultimate test of the commissioning of a structure, and it exposes the building if it is constructed in accordance with the National Building Code and there is proper professional provision,” she added.

Of the 80 inspected, five were classified as unsafe, meaning they need repairs but not immediately, and Gustilo did not identify the buildings.

Gustilo said some of these buildings had already shown hairline cracks before the earthquake and were earlier recommended for repairs due to signs of aging and deterioration, with possible reinforcement through carbon fiber or epoxy.

One building — the Locsin–Coscoluella Building at Ledesma and Iznart Streets in Barangay Magsaysay — was declared unsafe and in need of urgent repairs due to recorded incidents of falling glass windows even before the earthquake.

Gustilo said they are advising occupants to vacate due to safety concerns.

The OBO also inspected two other buildings outside the CBD upon request of their owners, with seven more pending inspections.

Meanwhile, 34 government-owned structures were also checked, 11 of which were deemed unsafe.

Three were recommended for immediate retrofitting: the PAGCOR Building at Iloilo National High School, a facility at the West Visayas State University Medical Center, and a building at Iloilo Central Elementary School.

The PAGCOR Building, which houses 20 classrooms and serves more than 1,800 senior high school students, was closed after engineers confirmed major cracks in its beams following the Cebu quake, and the structure had earlier shown small cracks that worsened after the tremor.

The affected facility has been cordoned off with caution tape, and students are barred from using it.

Classes have since shifted to alternative delivery modes, including modular and online learning, under the school’s continuity plan.

As for the hospital building, OBO noted major flexure cracks and spalling and declared it unsafe for occupancy.

Although the facility was already unoccupied during the inspection, officials recommended that no materials be stored inside as the structure is at risk of collapse.

For structures identified as needing immediate repairs, Gustilo said the OBO issues inspection reports with a clear timeline for compliance and that if building owners fail to act, closure orders may follow.

“Usually, for private buildings, since their renewal of business permit is every year, then we cannot issue them a permit,” she said.

Gustilo said the minor hairline cracks observed in some buildings could be attributed to construction methods, supervision or the use of substandard materials.

She emphasized that the OBO is mandated to conduct annual inspections, particularly of commercial establishments.

“There are more than 2,000 commercial buildings in Iloilo City that are being inspected every year, and it is increasing,” she said.