By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Following a series of strong earthquakes striking the country last month, Bacolod City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) officer-in-charge Dondon Parandas said they will be checking buildings in Bacolod City for quake resistance.

He said inspections will be conducted after the 2019 midterm elections and will focus on assessing the structural integrity of the buildings.

The CDRRMO official said, after the 6.5-magnitude earthquake in Eastern Samar last month, some older buildings in the city could have suffered damage even though the tremor experienced in the city was minor.

Parandas said structures will be checked by personnel from the City Engineer’s Office, and the Office of the Building Official.

He further stressed the importance of taking earthquake drills more seriously.

Parandas explained, according to a city ordinance, all establishments must conduct earthquake drills at least twice a year. However, he recommended more than two drills annually, pointing out, some establishment owners tend to change the inside layout of structures.

He further stated, establishment owners should update evacuation plans every time they change room layout.

The CDRRMO chief also recommended “big companies” should hire at least one safety officer, who would oversee the safety of the establishment’s occupants.

Based on CDRRMO findings in 2017, disaster cluster head, Executive Assistant Joemarie Vargas, estimated around 30 percent of the buildings in the city’s downtown area would collapse in the event of a strong earthquake.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Renato Solidum, meanwhile, recommended last year for all local government units in Negros to prepare for the possibility of earthquakes due to the discovery of new fault lines on the island.

Solidum also stated the importance of earthquake retrofitting and building earthquake-resistant structures./DGB, WDJ