Manila dormitories undergo inspections

MANILA, Philippines—The city government of Manila has stepped up its inspection of dormitories and boarding houses in preparation for the return of students for the new school year.

On Wednesday, city hall administrator Jesus Mari Marzan led inspections of dorms and boarding houses along Recto, España and Taft avenues.

Inspections have been ongoing since January, Ernesto Cuyugan, chief of the Manila city hall electrical engineering, told reporters.

Aside from electrical setups, the city hall personnel also checked the dormitories’ fire exits, fire extinguishers, and sanitation conditions.

Even the city’s lawmakers have pitched in for the preparations, with a councilor urging for inspections of the “fire-safety compliance and structural integrity of all dormitories, boarding houses and bed space establishments” around Manila’s 700 schools.

In a resolution, councilor DJ Bagatsing called on the city engineering office to check on electrical wirings in particular, because “3,700 of the 4,850 fire incidents in the country in 2010 were caused mainly by faulty electrical installations.”

He underscored the importance of the inspections especially in light of recent earthquakes, which could have compromised the structural integrity of buildings in the city.

He enjoined building owners to undertake their own inspections, saying that while the city government was responsible to protect the lives and properties of students and tenants, it is also “the obligation of owners and operators of dormitories, boarding houses, and bed space establishments to ensure their student-tenants are safe from fire and building collapse.”