THE House of Representatives is set to pass on third and final reading this week the proposed New Philippine Building Act, replacing the 46-year-old Building Code.
Bulacan Rep. Salvador Pleyto Sr., a former Public Works and Highways undersecretary, said the measure contained in House Bill 8500 is proposed to help the public prepare for a possible catastrophic earthquake, or “The Big One.”
“The enactment of a New Philippine Building Act to replace the antiquated 46-year-old Presidential Decree 1096 is long overdue and will ensure that more precious lives and properties are saved and protected,” said Pleyto, principal author of the measure.
“We have to make our buildings withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake,” Pleyto said, noting that buildings should be “resilient against earthquakes, fire, flood, landslide, storm, volcano and multiple hazards.”
PD 1096 was issued by the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in 1977.
“This law (PD 1096) has to be repealed. We have been using this obsolete law,” Pleyto stressed.
HB 8500 or the proposed “New Philippine Building Act,” promotes building resilience against earthquake, fire, flood, landslide, storm, volcanic eruption, and multiple hazards, as well as regulate the planning, design, construction, occupancy, maintenance, and demolition of buildings in the country. It was passed on second reading last week.
Under the bill, practices and techniques for the efficient use of energy and water become mandatory while designs consider persons with disabilities.
The measure also seeks to establish the Building Regulation and Standards Council (BRSC) that will assist in reviewing and recommending rules and regulations and reference standards to accomplish the objectives of the proposal.
The bill’s enactment, Pleyto said, “shall make edifices more durable, especially in the country which is hit by numerous disasters every year.”
Disaster officials have warned that the country could suffer over 60,000 fatalities and 120,000 people could go missing if a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hits Metro Manila.
