Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito has urged the Department of Public Works and Highways to conduct a nationwide audit on compliance to the National Building Code, in particular ensure that infrastructures are earthquake- and disaster-resistant.
The senator made the call in the aftermath of the Surigao earthquake on Feb. 10 which left at least P1 billion in damage.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has also warned Filipinos to prepare for the impending “Big One”—a possible magnitude 7.2 earthquake expected to be generated by the West Valley Fault.
“I am calling on the DPWH to conduct a facilities check across the country,” Ejercito said.
“We need to know whether our airports, ports, roads, bridges, and other public infrastructures, and even our homes are earthquake resilient and compliant even to the minimum requirements of the National Building Code,” added Ejercito, vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Works and Highways.
“We do not want to incite fear, but it could be more catastrophic in densely populated cities such as in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, and other big cities,” the senator added.
Ejercito, who has been calling since 2012 for the government to hold a National Summit on Disaster Preparedness, said the Surigao quake should serve as a wake-up call for the government to take action.
“We cannot just sit around and wait for the Big One to happen. We need to act now,” Ejercito said.