Longtime Cebu Executives and Professionals Chess Association (CEPCA) President Engr. Jerry B. Maratas and his colleagues from the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP)-Disaster Mitigation Preparedness and Response (DMPR) team extended assistance through their line of work to the earthquake-hit areas in northern Cebu.
Maratas, who heads the oldest existing chess organization outside of Manila for 12 years now, made up the first wave of volunteer civil and structural engineers who responded to the appeal of Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival for safety inspection and rapid assessments of buildings and public facilities across the City of Bogo and its neighboring towns that were rattled by the powerful tremor last September 30.
Maratas, a recognized specialist in structural engineering by the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) and a Life Member of ASEP, was joined by engineers Edzel Abastar, Joseph Abellar, Don Acaylar, John Agrabio, Rodolfo Chua, Pedro Adonis Compendio, Ariel de la Cruz, Ramon Gitamondoc, Randy Gopaoco, Wallace Lestano, Mike Manlangit, Joel Paragatos, James Quidilla, Godfrey Ruiz, Leonor Salazar, and Charlon Sollano in lending their expertise to the affected communities.
The founding CEO of Jemar Engineering Services and Celjem Construction and Development Corporation and his colleagues documented the damaged structures and conducted rapid visual screening, initial safety tagging, and referrals for detailed evaluation, prioritizing hospitals, schools, bridges, churches, government offices, and other high-occupancy sites in the service of those in need at this challenging time.-