Construction industry leaders warn vs substandard building materials

Construction industry leaders led by well-known Architect Gilbert Yu, Geronimo V. Manahan, Ricardo R. Poblete and Terence Daniel Yu yesterday warned of possible danger from the proliferation of substandard construction materials in the country following a recent scandal in Japan over poorly constructed condominiums and buildings.

Yu cited the construction industry scandal in Japan where a Japanese architect has admitted to skimping on building materials and regularly not meeting Japan’s strict building code in an effort to cut cost on the order of developers.

Yu pointed out that if such a thing can happen in First World Japan, "it can more easily happen here."

Yu complained about the proliferation of substandard building materials from rebars, pipes, hollow blocks and windows.

"But what is more unfortunate," Yu disclosed, "is if a building collapses only the architect has criminal and civil liability, while the developer goes scot-free."

Yu pointed out that similar to the claim of the Japanese architect involved in the

construction industry scandal in Japan, Filipino architects are similarly forced to undertake potentially dangerous cost-cutting measures to lower construction cost for the developers, otherwise the architect is easily replaced by the developers.

In the past, Architect Poblete and Manahan confirmed, architects had full control of construction projects.

Nowadays, unfortunately, Yu disclosed, it is the developers who dictate and force architects to cut corners to save on construction expense, posing a potential danger in the event of a magnitude five and above earthquake.

Government, the construction industry stalwarts urged, should address the potential problem now instead of reacting only after a major earthquake hits the country.

They said, the government, should stop the sale and use of substandard building materials.

Second, government should enact legislation which would make developers equally liable criminally and civilly for any defective buildings or houses instead of just laying the blame on the architects.

Yu, Poblete and Manahan cited the 1968 collapse of the Ruby Towers and a recent condominium building collapse in Binondo as warning of a bigger disaster if strict construction and building codes are not enforced.

Poblete and Manahan pointed out that even Government building inspected are not technically qualified to make an assessment of the safety of buildings and houses being constructed in the country.