Palafox on building reforms: We have hope in Duterte

Architect Jun Palafox. FILE PHOTO

Architect Jun Palafox on Tuesday said he was optimistic that the incoming administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte will usher in the needed political will to address the many structural hazards besieging Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

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“Kaya may pag-asa kay Duterte (That is why there is hope in Duterte). He has the heart and the courage to do something,” Palafox said over Radyo Inquirer 990AM.

He said, without elaborating, that Duterte seems “serious.”

Duterte is perhaps one of the most controversial presidential candidates in this year’s elections but he also stood out for having a reportedly no-nonsense attitude as a leader.

Palafox said he has given around 145 recommendations to President Benigno Aquino III and his predecessor former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. However, a lot of government buildings and bridges have yet to be retrofitted.

Palafox was interviewed a day before the Metro Manila Shake Drill, which will simulate a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.

He said despite earlier warnings, there are still a number of structures that are on top of fault lines.

Oftentimes, he said, weak structures are constructed because of corruption.

Palafox emphasized that people will get killed because of corruption as contractors use substandard materials to pay commission or kickback.

“We just need strong political will, visionary leadership, good urban planning, good design and good governance,” he said.

The architect explained that of the seven bridges predicted to fall based on the Metropolitan Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS), only the Ayala Bridge has been retrofitted.

READ: The Big One could kill 34,000

He said government should make sure that the assigned command centers and hospitals should be among the last structures standing in the event of an earthquake.

According to the MMEIRS, 34,000 people could die if a 7.2-magnitude earthquake from the West Valley Fault hits Metro Manila. Around 170,000 residential houses will collapse and 10 percent of public buildings will be heavily damaged. CDG/rga