Iloilo Capitol plans external stairwell, hard hats after quakes

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Following a series of earthquakes felt across Iloilo City and the province, Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. announced plans to enhance the safety of the Provincial Capitol, a 25-year-old, six-story building on Muelle Loney Street in Iloilo City Proper.

The recent tremors came after magnitude 7.4 and 6.8 doublet earthquakes struck Manay, Davao Oriental, on Oct. 10, with the quakes also felt in Iloilo and neighboring provinces.

This followed a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Bogo City, Cebu, 10 days earlier that similarly affected the province.

While the Capitol sustained no structural damage, the incidents underscored the need to improve disaster preparedness and evacuation procedures for employees and visitors.

“We already have protocols for earthquakes, but our reaction and experience during Friday’s tremors showed areas for improvement in our standard operating procedures, moving forward, I believe we need to construct an external staircase,” Defensor said.

He noted that the building’s existing stairwells became congested during the tremors, creating potential risks during emergencies.

“For now, we aim to construct an external stairwell to decongest the internal staircases during emergencies, it is important that this is properly incorporated into the building’s design, and that we increase the number of exits,” the governor said.

Defensor added that he has already directed the engineering office and general services office to begin planning the project.

In addition, the provincial government is eyeing the procurement of hard hats for staff as part of broader safety measures.

Hard hats are intended to protect individuals from falling debris or objects during earthquakes, reducing the risk of head injuries while evacuating or taking cover.