MATI CITY, Davao Oriental — Following a warning from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) that the Philippine Trench could generate a magnitude 8.2 earthquake, Governor Nelson Dayanghirang urged city and municipal mayors to assess and retrofit government buildings across the province to ensure it can withstand severe ground shaking.
The Philippine Trench includes Segment 6 Fault Line, which stretches to the coastal areas of Davao Oriental.
Governor Dayanghirang underscored that these structural recommendations will be discussed during a meeting with the local mayors and engineers later this month.
Dayanghirang emphasized that because of their experiences, the province needs to strengthen their strategic planning to ensure preparedness for future calamities.
This proactive strategy aligns with the direction of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr to shift toward an anticipatory approach to disaster management.
The governor recalled that during his first term in 2016, he also tasked the Provincial Engineer’s Office to fortify the design of their building to withstand magnitude 8.0 earthquake.
“Kalimtan sa nato maghimo og bagong building; paligonon sa nato ang existing building nato,” the governor stressed. (Let’s forget about constructing new buildings for now; let’s strengthen our existing buildings first.)
He also urged the local chief executives to be stringent on approving building permits.
“Kung atong pasagdan ni, mobalik sa ato ang labad sa ulo sa umaabot na panahon,” he added. (If we neglect this, the headache will return to us in the future.) PIA DAVAO
