Marcos wants disaster-resilient infrastructure, reform building code law

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said the government will begin constructing disaster-resilient “Ligtas Pinoy Centers” this year as he pushed for stronger building standards to withstand increasingly severe natural disasters.

In his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 27, Marcos said the new evacuation facilities will initially be built in areas frequently battered by severe weather, including Bicol, Eastern Samar, Bukidnon, and Davao de Oro.

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“Aside from the 137 evacuation centers that have been built across the country, we will begin constructing Ligtas Pinoy Centers this year. The first of these will be in areas frequently hit by severe weather, such as Bicol, Eastern Samar, Bukidnon, and Davao de Oro,” he said.

According to Marcos, the facilities are designed to withstand extreme disasters, including super typhoons packing winds of up to 340 kilometers per hour and earthquakes with a magnitude of 8.4.

Marcos said the same standards of quality and durability should also apply to privately built infrastructure across the country.

“All buildings in our country must be prepared and capable of remaining strong and standing against any threat posed by disasters and calamities,” he said.

Marcos called for amendments to the National Building Code to bring the country’s construction requirements in line with modern standards.

“It is therefore only appropriate that we focus on and give importance to amending the National Building Code so that it conforms with modern standards,” he said. /jpv