Lawmakers to review building code provisions
Lawmakers are set to review provisions of the National Building Code and Republic Act 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, to strengthen contingencies and policies to prepare the country for possible major earthquakes.
The move came following proposals from Reps. Winston Castelo of Quezon City and Lito Atienza of the Buhay party-list to review the two laws and other regulations during a hearing of the House committee on Metro Manila development on the government’s preparations for a possible mega-earthquake arising from a sudden movement of the West Valley Fault that cuts across the nation’s capital.
“We just don’t want hot air or scary stories but actual proposals so that we can make changes in the law,” Atienza said after Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino briefed the panel on his agency’s plan in the event of a massive earthquake.
The lawmaker said the construction of high-rise buildings and other structures is often laden with corruption, which affects the integrity of the construction.
He said there could be provisions in the National Building Code that could be made stricter.
Atienza and Castelo said the MMDA, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and other concerned agencies should immediately make recommendations so Congress can make amendments to existing laws.
Castelo, who chairs the committee, raised the possibility of the need to make some reclassification or re-zoning of high-risk areas in local government regulations and national laws.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director Alexander Pama said RA 10121 has a provision that requires Congress to review the law this year.
Pama said this is a good opportunity for lawmakers to strengthen the law.
Phivolcs earlier projected that at least 37,000 people could be killed from collapsed buildings and another 18,000 from fires triggered by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.
Phivolcs director Renato Solidum reiterated his warning of a major earthquake that could happen anytime without warning.
Solidum said the West Valley Fault System – which spans Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna and Metro Manila – moves every 400 years.
Amid fears of a mega-earthquake and with the school year officially opening on June 1, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) plans to resume conducting drills in different schools to give students a demonstration of what to do in case of an earthquake.
“We don’t know when the Big One will strike, so we have to be prepared. People should know what to do when an earthquake hits and where to seek refuge. These drills could save lives,” said PRC chairman Richard Gordon.
Gordon noted that he had instructed all Red Cross chapter administrators in Metro Manila to coordinate with public and private schools in their areas to set a schedule for the earthquake drill.
He added the PRC would also collaborate with building administrators as well as public and private offices so drills could be set for tenants and employees.