Houses, low- and mid-rise buildings more vulnerable to effects of earthquake –PHIVOLCS

Houses, as well as low- and mid-rise buildings, are more at risk of damage or collapse during a strong earthquake than high-rise structures, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said Monday.

At the briefing on Metro Manila’s earthquake preparedness in the House of Representatives, PHIVOLCS Director Renato Solidum expressed concern about the structural integrity of low- and mid-rise buildings as he called for stricter implementation of the Building Code.

Solidum said a study the PHIVOLCS jointly conducted with the Metro Manila Development Authority and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in  2004 showed that only two percent of high-risk buildings are at risk of heavy damage or collapse when a strong earthquake occurs.

In contrast, roughly 13 percent of low-rise buildings, 10 percent of public buildings and 11 percent of mid-rise buildings are at risk of sustaining great damage or falling in a similar scenario.

Referring to the 2004 study’s results, Solidum said: “This counters the common perception that we need to worry about high-rise buildings but that isn’t so. Many of residential buildings aren’t engineered. Di ‘yan kumukuha ng permit, di ‘yan kumukuha ng engineer.”

“We need to prepare houses and buildings so we will lessen the casualties and injuries,” he added.

Compliance to Building Code

More than passing new laws, Solidum said the government should focus on the proper implementation of Republic Act 6541 or the National Building Code.

Recalling that there were buildings which remained standing after the magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit Northern and Central Luzon in July 1990, Solidum said following the provisions of RA 6541 are already enough to ensure buildings will be earthquake-resistant.

“We just need to make sure that people follow the Building Code. The problem is that non-engineered buildings comprise a substantial part of buildings in the country. These buildings can collapse easily,” he said.

Since PHIVOLCS is not an engineering agency, Solidum said their actions are limited to helping engineers and contractors identify building hazards. He said they aren’t involved in the process of issuing building permits.

To improve contractors’ compliance to the Building Code, MMDA chair Francis Tolentino suggested that PHIVOLCS be included in the issuance of building permits.

He said it would also help if contractors will be aware of a possible need to retrofit existing buildings or if it passed the earthquake census prior to paying real property taxes.

In 2014, the MMDA held the first earthquake risk survey in Las Piñas City to determine private and public structures that could be vulnerable to damage during a strong earthquake.

Just like a census, inspectors go from one place to another to check the structural integrity of the house or building. Those that pass the inspection will be posted with a sticker from the MMDA. —KBK, GMA News