An aerial view of Cebu City. | CDND file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines –As a precautionary measure, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has directed the Office of the Building Official (OBO) to conduct a massive inspection and assessment of the buildings and the other structures that are found here to determine its resiliency.
Rama said it is important for the city to prepare for calamities especially after a strong earthquake caused buildings to collapse, as it also killed thousands, in Turkey and Syria.
“We had that vivid recollection on TV and Facebook on what had occurred in Turkey and in Syria. [The] Philippines cannot be an exception. Cebu City cannot be an exception. We must prepare…We cannot afford [to count] people under rubles,” the mayor said in a message which he delivered during the testimonial dinner that the city government hosted in celebration of its 86th Charter Anniversary on Friday, Feb. 24.
International news organizations have reported that more than 46,000 people were killed in the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria last Feb. 6. The earthquake also destroyed about 264,000 apartments in Turkey.
READ: Turkey, Syria quake death toll passes 46,000; desperation for signs of life
Rama told OBO that he does not want to see any ‘sacred cow’ as they conduct the massive inspection of buildings here.
“OBO, you must already roll your sleeves, and in mass, we must check all and…the gamut must fall if the violations are committed,” he said.
At the same time, the mayor also sought the City Council’s help on the need to ‘manage’ slopes and other elevated parts of the city that may cause landslides.
In an earlier interview, OBO head Architect Florante Catalan said that majority of the buildings here are “structurally sound,” except for some old and dilapidate structures that were already identified and recommended for demolition.
One of these was the old White Gold Club Mall at the North Reclamation Area, that was demolished late in 2022.
Catalan said that the other buildings that pose risks to the public include a two-story commercial building located along Gorordo Avenue, a concrete fence that is located at the entrance to the Department of Agriculture compound in M. Velez St. in Barangay Capitol Site, and a damaged retaining wall along S. Cabahug St. in Barangay Mabolo.
READ MORE:
OBO head: Existing buildings in Cebu City ‘structurally sound’
Cebu City’s OBO identifies old structures for demolition, renovation
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