Many of the casualties and damage from disasters in the Philippines stem from weak houses and poorly built structures that fail to withstand strong winds or earthquakes, the country’s science chief said.
At the Handa Pillipinas-Visayas leg in this city, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Renato U. Solidum Jr. said Monday that about 40 percent of houses nationwide are non-engineered and are often built without proper building permits.
These collapses, Solidum told the BusinessMirror, are usually due to three main factors: poor design, substandard materials, and inadequate workmanship.
He cited the recent 6.9-magnitude earthquake offshore Cebu, noting that some buildings collapsed at the lower levels because they were top-heavy, while others used substandard materials.
He added that most affected structures were private homes rather than government buildings.
‘We have to really look at how people can be assisted in really following earthquake resilient design and making sure that these would conform to the code,’ he said, noting that ‘the real challenge lies in enforcing the building code and proper land-use policies at the local level.’
‘My idea of resilience is to build stronger. Let us retrofit houses that are weak,’ Solidum emphasized.
He proposed that local building officials proactively distribute engineer-approved house designs along with a bill of materials, instead of waiting for residents to apply for permits.
This would ensure that both design and materials comply with building codes. Monitoring construction, he said, should follow immediately.
‘Second, why can’t we help before the disaster happens?’ the science chief asked, suggesting that companies and communities could help strengthen the homes of vulnerable Filipinos so they are better protected from earthquakes and flash floods.
He added, ‘Mas mura pong tumulong ngayon kaysa pagkatapos ng disaster.’
[It is far cheaper to assist now than to respond after a disaster occurs.]
Solidum underscored that efforts to build resilience should be developmental, focused on uplifting the lives of the most vulnerable.
‘Through science, technology, innovation, and our unity as Filipinos, our spirit of bayanihan, we can transform disasters into opportunities, challenges into collaborations, and risks into resilience,’ he said.
‘We Filipinos are portrayed as victims of disasters, but we can become victors over disasters,’ Solidum added.