By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

In response to last week’s 6.5-magnitude earthquake in Leyte, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) cluster head Joemarie Vargas said they requested the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) to inspect all buildings in Bacolod City for earthquake readiness.
He noted the CEO has yet to submit a report on the matter.
Vargas believes 30 percent of buildings in the downtown area, along with buildings that are at least 15 years old, would collapse in a strong earthquake.
The CDRRMO official said once a report is received, they will review which buildings are in need of earthquake retrofitting, which is utilized to prevent a building from collapsing in an earthquake.
Last Thursday, the Leyte quake caused massive damage and claimed the lives of two people. The tremor was also felt in Negros Occidental and caused blackouts across several parts of the island, including Bacolod City./WDJ