By CESAR JOLITO III
All public schools in Bacolod City have been cleared for occupancy following a two-day citywide structural inspection after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Bogo City in Cebu province on Monday, October 13.
Mayor Greg Gasataya announced the resumption of classes yesterday after inspection teams from the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the City Engineer’s Office (CEO), the Office of the Building Official, and the Department of Education (DepEd) confirmed that no school buildings in Bacolod were declared unsafe.
However, Gasataya said the city government is taking the incident as a wake-up call, directing that annual inspections of all government buildings — including schools, offices and other public structures — will now be institutionalized as part of Bacolod’s disaster-preparedness framework.
“We’ve seen the importance of preventive measures. From now on, the city will conduct annual inspections of all government facilities to ensure their safety and structural integrity,” Gasataya said.
The mayor earlier ordered the suspension of classes on Monday and Tuesday, October 14, as a precaution while assessments were ongoing.
To enhance monitoring, the CEO and DepEd have adopted a color-tagging system for public school buildings based on the results of the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis.
According to CEO officer-in-charge Engineer Loben Ceballos, the categories are:
* Green — Safe for occupancy
* Yellow — Requires repair or partial restriction
* Red — Unsafe for use and subject to immediate closure
“This system gives us a clearer picture of which structures need priority repairs and helps us plan future retrofitting and rehabilitation programs,” Ceballos said.
7 schools sustain damage
Out of the 49 public schools inspected, 38 were tagged green, seven were placed under the yellow category, and four remain under further evaluation.
None were classified red or unsafe for use.
The five inspection teams observed defects that may have been aggravated by the tremor.
Large cracks on walls and sagging ceilings were discovered in the two-story school buildings at Emiliano Lizares National High School in Bacolod City’s Barangay Granada.
City Engineer Loben Ceballos said the database generated from the inspection will guide future planning and development to ensure safer school facilities.
“We now have a detailed record of every school’s condition. This will help us prioritize retrofitting and preventive maintenance,” Ceballos said.
Among the most affected was Emiliano Lizares National High School in Barangay Granada, where engineers found large wall cracks and sagging ceilings in two-story buildings — damage believed to have worsened due to the tremor.
Gasataya also urged residents to report any visible damage to public structures so that city engineers can assess them promptly.
“We’re thankful no major structural issues were found, but we cannot be complacent. Continuous monitoring and community reporting are essential in ensuring everyone’s safety,” he added./CJ, WDJ