LGUs told to enforce structural safety measures amid quake threats
LGUs told to enforce structural safety measures amid quake threats
MANILA, Philippines — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is enjoining all local government units (LGUs) to strictly enforce the Structural Code of the Philippines to cushion the impact of earthquakes.
OCD Administrator Ariel Nepomuceno said the 17 regional offices of the agency will communicate this with LGUs nationwide as part of the agency’s massive campaign for compliance of the safety provision of the law.
“We are more on the preventive approach than sorry later to save thousands of lives,” Nepomuceno said in a statement on Monday.
Nepomuceno also noted that the LGUs should strictly prohibit construction activities in areas vulnerable to landslides.
He also cited the recent magnitude 7.6 earthquake in Taiwan, which killed about a dozen people, a relatively low number, which he attributed to the country’s readiness and strict building code.
On the other hand, the so-called Big One — or a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hitting Metro Manila — would lead to at least 52,000 deaths, and 500,000 injuries, according to the study of risk assessment and consultancy firm PSA Philippines Consultancy Inc. published in 2019.
“It is crucial to prevent the loss of thousands of lives when serious ground-shaking incidents occur in our major cities,” Nepomuceno said.
Sitting atop the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plates often collide, the Philippines experiences frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.