Metrowide ‘quake census’ begins Wednesday in Las Piñas

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is set to begin today the first government-led “earthquake census” in the country, starting in Las Piñas City.

The MMDA will conduct an earthquake risk survey on buildings in Barangay (village) Pamplona 3 starting at 7 a.m.

At least 20 teams of inspectors composed of more than a hundred MMDA engineers, members of  the Philippine Civil Engineers (PICE), city building officials and engineering students, will be going house to house and building to building to assess their structural integrity.

“Our objective is to identify structures that are at risk of damage in the event of an earthquake. Once we have pinpointed the structural deficiencies, city engineers will implement corrective measures,” Tolentino said in a statement Tuesday.

Once a structure is inspected, a sticker will be posted by the MMDA.

The survey is in keeping with the Metro Manila Council Resolution No. 13-19 issued last year, approving the conduct of the earthquake census in all the barangays of the 17 local government units of the National  Capital Region.

The resolution was passed in the wake of the magnitude 7.2 temblor that shook Bohol and Cebu provinces in October 2013.

Tolentino cited findings by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid) which put the potential death toll at 37,000 in Metro Manila alone in the event of an earthquake of similar magnitude.

“In view of the clamor to revisit some of the provisions of the National Building Code, we should start this earthquake risk audit so we can plan and implement contingency measures in case a strong earthquake hits Metro Manila,” Tolentino said.

“The result of the earthquake census should lead to restructuring of public and private buildings based on risk assessment and cost benefit analysis and other engineering, seismic, and geological models to reduce quake structural deficiencies, thereby preventing unnecessary loss of lives and properties,” he added.