The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged all local government units (LGUs) to audit infrastructure in their areas of responsibility in preparation for possible earthquakes.
The agency’s appeal to local officials comes amid a series of tremors that have jolted parts of the country in recent weeks, including the magnitude 6.9 quake that struck Cebu on Sept. 30 and the magnitude 7.4 tremor that hit Davao on Oct. 10.
‘To help communities prepare for the threat of high-magnitude earthquakes, the DILG is calling on all LGUs to conduct comprehensive infrastructure audits on both public and private buildings within their jurisdictions,’ the agency said in a statement on Thursday.
‘With the increasing frequency and intensity of earthquakes, proactive preparedness is our best defense,’ it added.
The DILG said it has developed a ‘harmonized’ infrastructure audit tool, in partnership with the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, to identify potential vulnerabilities in buildings before earthquakes.
According to the department, 18 LGUs from the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon have already been oriented on the tool, with 42 more LGUs in the same regions scheduled for orientation.
To support the tool’s rollout, the DILG said it formed a team of experts from professional organizations, academic institutions, and local government agencies across 74 LGUs nationwide.