Owners of 72 buildings deemed high risk to earthquakes warned

ILOILO CITY , Philippines  — A total of 72 old and dilapidated buildings in the city have been declared unsafe or at high risk against the effect of a high-magnitude earthquake, according to the Office of the Building Official.

As such, OBO officer-in-charge Noen Gregorio issued notices to the owners and administrators of these buildings to take immediate precautionary measures.

Gregorio recommended to them the hiring of a private structural engineer to evaluate and conduct a series of testing to determine if the existing strength of the structures still comply with the minimum requirements stated in the National Structural Code of the Philippines.

The move of the OBO was the result of its review and inspection conducted to determine the safety and structural stability of buildings and other structures in the city following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan recently.

City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog ordered the inspection of buildings to ensure the safety of tenants or occupants and the public, and minimize damage to life and property.

A copy of the test results and evaluation report shall be submitted for review and shall be the basis of recommendation and succeeding action of the Office of Building Official.

Ocular inspections were done from March 21 to 28 and the building owners have been given a month to comply, Gregorio said.

The structures mostly date back to 15 years or more, while others are now considered "heritage buildings" by virtue of being more than 50 years old.

Nearly all of them are found along downtown Iloilo, particularly along J.M. Basa and Iznart Streets.