DOST holds workshop on infrastructure audit, evaluation

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is spearheading efforts to raise the capabilities of local government units in assessing the structural integrity of buildings, bridges and other public structures in case of earthquake and other calamities.

In partnership with the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP), officials of DOST Region 4-A recently gathered 27 city and municipal engineers in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) for a crash course on infrastructure audit and evaluation.

The workshop was conducted on July 20 and 21 at the Development Academy of the Philippines campus in Tagaytay City.

Among the speakers were ASEP past presidents Cesar Pabalan and Wilfredo Lopez; Rhommel Grutas, supervising science research specialist of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology; Bonfacio Pajuealas of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, and Socorro Hernandez, chief geologist of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

DOST Region 4-A director Alexander Madrigal said they would hold a series of workshops to draw up a protocol for infrastructure audit that will be developed into a manual for government engineers and building inspectors in auditing buildings and structures in their jurisdiction.

“We will showcase the best practices of structural engineers so they can be practiced in the inspection of buildings to determine if these should be made off-limits,” Madrigal told The STAR.

City and municipal engineers will be made to conduct an inventory of all buildings in Calabarzon, Madrigal said.

He said Calabarzon has the most number of buildings among all regions outside of Metro Manila.

More quake drills sought

Following the metro-wide earthquake drill spearheaded by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority last Thursday, the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF) said more drills should be conducted to ensure that the people are prepared for the “Big One.”

PDRF president Rene Meilly said the Metro Manila Shake Drill 2015 was successful and it enabled the group to check on its satellite communications.

“Let’s continue the conduct of earthquake drills to raise public awareness,” Meilly said.

PDRF is co-chaired by Manuel V. Pangilinan, chairman of telecommunications giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.; Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, chief executive officer of Ayala Corp., and Manila Archbishop Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle.