Officials, engineers told: Follow Building Code amid quake risk

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Local government units, particularly building officials, should strictly enforce the National Building Code and maintain updated inventories of structural and seismic thresholds of buildings to reduce casualties during earthquakes, the Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said.

PDRRMO head Cornelio Salinas made the appeal following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck off Sarangani on Monday morning, which caused significant damage to several structures, reducing some to rubble.

Salinas said building officials must assess the structural integrity and code compliance of buildings, stressing that the government’s goal is zero casualties during disasters.

“Building officials of different local governments should check now the threshold of all buildings because our target is zero casualty,” he said Wednesday, June 10.

He also urged stricter enforcement of construction standards, warning that failure to comply with building specifications could cost lives.

“To our building officials, enforce the Building Code so as to save lives. If a particular building collapses because you fail to abide by the requirements of the specifications of the material, there would be blood in your hands,” he added.

Salinas said Western Visayas faces significant seismic threats due to the presence of the Negros Trench and the West Panay Fault.

The Negros Trench is a subduction zone off Negros Island, while the West Panay Fault runs through Panay Island.

Salinas said this is especially alarming given recent seismic activity in Iloilo, including magnitude-4 earthquakes with epicenters in southern Iloilo.

The PDRRMO said preparedness must begin at the construction stage, particularly among engineers and developers.

“There is no device that can warn the public of an impending earthquake, so preparedness must start from proper planning and construction. Do not cut the budget. It should be cost-efficient to protect lives and properties. If a building collapses, billions will be spent again, so it is better to invest in safe construction,” Salinas said.

He noted that collapse search-and-rescue operations are scarce and costly.

Salinas said the PDRRMO has endorsed a resolution urging a “walk the fault line” initiative, under which government agencies would survey the West Panay Fault from Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, and Antique to determine its full extent and guide major infrastructure planning.

The proposal has been referred to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), though no set timeline has been established due to budget constraints.

Salinas also said the provincial government is procuring structural integrity equipment valued at approximately PHP 3.5 million, including rebar scanners, concrete depth analyzers, and concrete scanners used for non-destructive testing of structures.