The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will conduct a structural stability assessment of 5,980 buildings in the National Capital Region (NCR).
In the Senate Committee on Public Works hearing chaired by Sen. Bong Revilla, DPWH Usec. Maximo Carvajal said included 4,000 school buildings, 351 health facilities, 1,180 other public buildings, and 402 local government unit buildings.
Carvajal said since 2018, the DPWH started preparing for the “Big One” that could happen to the country.
The official said P210 million was allocated for this project. Currently, 36 buildings have been assessed and retrofitted.
The following year, P767 million was allocated. Retrofitting of 13 buildings were completed and nine buildings are still undergoing retrofitting. Only one building has not yet started its retrofitting.
In 2020, there was P1 billion funds- 3 buildings are undergoing retrofitting and 48 had been finished. Macon Ramos-Araneta
In 2021, P200 million was allocated. Retrofitting is ongoing in the four buildings and 9 buildings had finished retrofitting.
The budget came from local funds and loans from Wolrd Bank at USD309 million under the Philippines Seismic Risk Reduction and Resilience Project.
The construction of the alternative DPWH building in Pampanga is ongoing. It will serve as a command center in cass of a strong earthquake and collapse of buildings in the NCR.
“So outside of Metro Manila. We will build a command center so that all the nearby regions can help in the NCR,” added Carvajal.
Architect Felino Palafox, Jr. noted that many of the buildings erected before 1992 did not undergo requirement on seismic analysis.
He said it is dangerous for the country’s building code to allow high-rise buildings with a distance of one meter.
The DPWH report indicated they had already made an earthquake resistant na evacuation centers.
In Luzon, there are 8,098 evacuaiton centers, 3000 in Visayas and 4,820 in Mindanao or a total of 15, 918 evacuation centers