THE City Engineer's Office (CEO) has identified few areas considered unsafe for occupation resulting from the recent earthquake in Davao City.
CEO officer-in-charge Atty. Joseph Dominic Felizarta, during the ISpeak media forum, Thursday morning, October 13, at the City Mayor’s Office, said of the 32 schools and 19 government offices assessed, the Jacinto Health Center, Saloy National High School, Malabog Daycare Center, and Malabog Elementary School were considered unsafe for occupation.
“Bisan ug humana na ang earthquake naa may mga damaged gihapon na building sa mga layong lugar, nagpadayun gihapon mi og inspect (Even though the earthquake has passed, there are still damaged buildings in remote areas, which is why we are continuing our inspections),” Felizarta said.
He said school principals and barangay captains have been reaching out for assistance in inspecting their buildings due to cracks.
The Office of the City Building Official (Ocbo) handles inspections of private buildings, occasionally seeking assistance from the CEO and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (Pice) under a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).
Buildings with cracks are labeled and monitored by the CEO to assess if any further damage occurs during subsequent seismic events.
Felizarta highlighted findings indicating that certain schools, like Norberto Navarro National High School, should remain unoccupied until necessary repairs are completed. Additionally, structures at Imelda Elementary School and Tagakpan Elementary School have restricted use due to safety concerns according to the CEO's assessment.
The Anecito Barbarona Elementary School requires repairs to a damaged portion of one of its walls, while Baguio National School of Arts and Trade displays visible cracks in columns and beams of an unstable wall partition.
Felizarta said that CEO returned the inspection report to the academic institution so they can request the local school board to fund the repairs of the structures.
He also stressed that the earthquake-affected school buildings are older, while the newly constructed ones in the city comply with national building codes. Buildings of two to three stories must undergo soil tests, structural design analysis, and include faultline considerations in their designs.
“Mao ni ingon na secure the services of structural engineers, mangayo nalang ta ug tabang sa Pice kay naa man tay MOA with Pice sa atong local government unit nga mutabang sila sa ato sa mga in times of disaster (This underscores the importance of engaging structural engineers. We should seek assistance from Pice because our local government unit has a MOA with them to provide support during times of disaster),” Felizarta said. RGP