By Catherine Teves
MANILA, (PNA) –- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is preparing to retrofit and upgrade public buildings nationwide so these can be more resilient to earthquakes and other hazards in the country.
”We’re coming up with a template for the work,” said DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson.
He noted hospitals, schools and other public buildings must be retrofitted and upgraded, not just repaired, to meet standards under the country’s National Building Code.
The retrofitting and upgrading work is part of government’s disaster risk reduction thrust.
”Public buildings mustn’t be life-threatening,” Singson said.
Such public buildings musn’t merely collapse when hazards strike but must be able to operate even afterwards, he also noted.
”There are interventions for making the buildings structurally resilient,” he said.
On Tuesday (Oct. 15), disaster struck the country anew when a magnitude 7.2 earthquake jolted the island-province of Bohol.
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported other provinces felt the 8:12 a.m. quake at varying intensities.
Phivolcs continues urging the public to prepare for earthquakes, saying these are natural occurrences in the Philippines since the country lies along the tremor-prone Pacific Ring of Fire.
The agency reported already monitoring some 1,328 earthquake aftershocks from Tuesday to Thursday noon (Oct. 17).
Twenty-seven of those aftershocks were felt, Phivolcs said, citing reports it received so far.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its 6 a.m. report released Thursday the earthquake affected nearly 857,000 persons in Bohol.
That province is already under a state of calamity.
NDRRMC also reported the quake left there 144 victims dead, 188 people injured and 22 persons missing.
Estimated cost of the quake’s damage to roads, bridges and flood control infrastructure in Bohol alone already reached some P57.5 million, NDRRMC continued.
Several houses, establishments and centuries-old churches in Bohol also suffered damage from the earthquake, NDRRMC said.
Singson reported the agency already deployed several of its engineers to assess structural integrity of Bohol’s public and private structures.
He noted several volunteers from Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers joined the undertaking.
DPWH is leaving to National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) the task of restoring Bohol’s quake-damaged historical churches, however, Singson said.
Such work needs special restoration expertise which DPWH lacks, he noted.
Earlier, NCCA, National Historical Commission of the Philippines and National Museum decided forming a heritage task force that will inspect and evaluate damage to the quake-ravaged churches beginning this week.
”NCCA shall provide a mobilization fund for the initial (rapid) assessment, pending national government’s decision on the rescue and rehabilitation efforts as a whole,” this agency said.
DPWH is preparing to work on 14 earthquake-affected bridges along the circumferential road and along several inner roads in Bohol.
Singson noted three of those bridges already collapsed.
He said DPWH plans erecting, within three to four weeks, temporary steel bridges where such collapsed structures are.
The agency has enough quick-response funds to undertake the repair work, he assured.
Bohol Gov. Edgardo Chatto earlier called on his constituents to remain calm despite aftershocks that continue rocking the island.
”Don’t panic,” he told his constituents, assuring the provincial government will do its best to assist them.
NDRRMC also advised people there and in other quake-affected areas to prepare for aftershocks.
Phivolcs warned such aftershocks will continue occurring in forthcoming days but will diminish in number over time.
”When ground shaking stops, seek the fastest and safest way out of buildings but avoid using elevators,” NDRRMC said.
The agency likewise cautioned people in the quake-affected areas against making unnecessary phone calls to avoid clogging up available communication lines.