A LAWMAKER has called on the government to conduct a comprehensive review of the country’s public infrastructure to ensure it can withstand natural disasters following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the coast of northern Cebu on Tuesday night.
Bacolod Rep. Albee Benitez stressed the need to address the public’s ‘growing fear and distrust’ of government-built facilities, which he said are increasingly revealed as substandard, posing threats to life and safety during calamities.
‘Even as we have yet to assess the full extent of the destruction caused by the earthquake, it is also urgent that the government conduct a thorough review of the disaster-worthiness of all public infrastructure,’ said Benitez.
‘First expose the shoddy work, punish those guilty for it, then take the necessary steps to ensure that no public building, road, or bridge will contribute to loss of life, injury, and damage to property,’ added Benitez.
Meanwhile,Party-list Rep. Robert Nazal of Bagong Henerasyon called on Congress to include post-earthquake rehabilitation funds in next year’s budget.
‘I will make sure the 2026 budget includes specific funds for post-earthquake rehabilitation for the towns and barangays hit hardest,’ Nazal said.
He said of the role of government agencies in ensuring safety: ‘We will remind the Department of Human Settlements, the Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government that they must prioritize public safety through properly built houses and infrastructure.’
Meanwhile, Benitez, who serves as lead convenor of the Visayan Bloc in the House of Representatives, expressed solidarity with those affected by the calamity and assured that aid would be provided.
‘I wish to express my solidarity with the people of Cebu who have been impacted by the recent earthquake,’ he said. ‘Cebuanos can rest assured that their brethren in Bacolod and across the Visayan Bloc are ready to extend assistance to help them recover as quickly as possible.’
The Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that the earthquake has so far claimed 72 lives, with more than 250 injured.