BTF orders stricter compliance with building code
COPING WITH LIQUEFACTION
MAYOR Belen Fernandez of Dagupan, a city with soil that is liquefaction prone, has ordered the City Engineers Office to be stricter in implementing standards before issuing building permits for ongoing and future constructions.
Fernandez also called on residents currently building or planning to build either residential or commercial structures to secure building permits from the Engineering Office so they can be given professional advice to ensure that their properties can withstand high intensity earthquakes.
The city mayor noted that there are many houses and commercial structures that have mushroomed in the city sans building permits in violation of the national building code and warned that it will not be tolerated under her new administration.
City Engineer Virginia Rosario has been instructed to mobilize a team that will check if ongoing constructions have building permits.
At a recent seminar for building officials in the country organized by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) and the Japan Science Institute of Technology Project, the importance of planning and preparations for the possible movement in the Valley Fault in Metro Manila since it may affect a large part of Luzon, including Pangasinan was emphasized.
“According to Phivolcs, while there is no earthquake fault in Dagupan, the soil here is liquefaction prone, thus there is a need to strictly observe the building code,” said Rosario.
BUILD PROPERLY
Rosario stressed the indispensable planning by a licensed engineer or architect in construction.
“A house built by an engineer or architect is definitely stronger as he knows the right foundation for the house or building, including the right materials to be used in its construction,” she said.
Rosario also called on owners of structures built before 1992 to have their properties checked for necessary reinforcements to withstand a high intensity earthquake.
Dagupan was severely damaged in 1990 by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake. –LVM
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