FOLLOWING the 5.1 magnitude earthquake that shook Cebu on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 29, 2024, engineering offices in Lapu-Lapu City reported minor hairline cracks in school buildings.
Authorities, however, assured that these do not pose any safety risks to learners. Classes also resumed on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
On Monday, Sept. 30, City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan suspended face-to-face classes at all levels in Lapu-Lapu pending school
building inspections.
In a letter to Mayor Chan, the engineering offices reported that the ocular inspection of several three-to-four-story public school buildings in the city revealed no signs of structural issues that could pose safety risks or lead to collapse.
“During the inspection, it was noted that there were no apparent signs that may cause structural loss of integrity of the buildings. The only visible issues were minor, superficial, and hairline cracks, which are attributed to sudden temperature changes rather than the tremor,” states a portion of the letter from the Office of the City Engineering.
Jonas Jacalan, Department of Education (DepEd) Lapu-Lapu City division engineer, told reporters on Tuesday, that less than 10 schools, including one in Barangay Sudtunggan, reported to have minor cracks in their school buildings.
Based on the inspection team’s evaluation, Jacalan said the cracks were not caused by the earthquake, but due to the building’s wear and tear.
“During our inspection, we found it was only on the wall…There are really only a few, less than 10, and those cracks weren’t even caused by the earthquake; they resulted from wear and tear in the building and from improper plastering,” said Jacalan in a mix of Cebuano
and English.
“Actually, we are currently collating reports from schools with hairline cracks. Most of the pictures they’ve sent, we’ve been able to identify whether they are critical or not,” he added.
When asked how they would address these hairline cracks, Jacalan said the hairline cracks are not major issues and that the schools can easily manage the repairs.
He emphasized that if there are any developments or if the reported cracks escalate, concerned individuals should report to
them immediately.
The school division engineer also highlighted that medium rise buildings with four-storey features are “earthquake and typhoon resilient” built to withstand these calamities.
“Our school buildings are designed to be resilient against earthquakes and typhoons, making them sturdier than standard buildings required by the building code,” said Jacalan. / DPC