THE Office of the City Building Official (Ocbo) will be needing more manpower for 2020, following the recent earthquakes that struck the city, and the additional construction of high rise building.
Ocbo head Cirinia Grace Catubig said they need five more personnel who will take charge in the application of occupancy and inspection permits.
Catubig admitted the recent earthquakes in October and December had added up work load on their part since Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, in coordination with the City Engineer’s Office (CEO), had instructed local government agencies to inspect and ensure the structural integrity of all building establishments and other infrasctures in the city for the safety of the public.
“Sa mga application sa permit and occupancy, very bulky ang trabaho plus daghan ongoing constructions,” she said.
(We have too much workoad from permit application, especially in occupancy, and there have been ongoing building constructions in the city.)
She said Ocbo, which implements regulations and requirements for the construction, alteration, repair, conversion, use, occupancy, and demolition of buildings pursuant to Section 301 of Presidential Decree 1906, or the National Building Code of the Philippines, has been in need of new manpower to conduct various inspections.
Catubig said those personnel in charge in the application were pulled out to help in the inspection and assessment of all buildings in the city after the series of earthquakes affected the city.
She admitted they had to start all over again when the magnitude 6.9 earthquake on December 15, 2019 struck Davao del Sur wherein Davao City felt the intensity of the quake.
Although she said the current incident is only a “special case”.
Despite this, she said these personnel are trained in rapid assessment in the conduct of an earthquake.
Aside from the special monitoring, she said the office conducts an annual inspection, as part of the requirement of applying and renewal of business permit in the city.
Catubig, meanwhile, said the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (Pice) had been assisting them with their inspections since the earthquake struck in October.
“Kani sila, nanghatag sila og time and effort na magtabang sa city government og inspect sa mga buildings diria sa siyudad. Kanunay gyud ilang pagkuyog sa atong team aron mag inspect,” she said.
(They had solicited their time and effort in helping the city government inspect all buildings in the city. They have been continuously assisting our team in the field work.)
Ocbo has inspected 32 percent of the total building establishments in the city.
Recently, Catubig said nine establishments in the city are currently placed under “yellow tag” status after incurring damage brought about by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake. These include some malls, schools, and other commercial establishments.
She said establishments placed under “yellow tag” status only incurred damage in specific portions of the establishments.
However, she has not yet disclosed the names of the establishments as investigation is still ongoing.