MANDALUYONG CITY, (PIA) — An official from the Office of Civil Defence (OCD) on Tuesday, July 9, cited a readily downlable mobile application made by DOST-Phivolcs to guage if your house is safe from destructive earthquakes.
During the 2024 Dagyaw Open Government and Participatory Governance Town Hall Meeting held at the SM Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, OCD-Capacity Building and Training Service chief Manuel Nivera Jr. said, “families can now readily assess if their house is earthquake-resilient” by utilizing the “How Safe is My House?” tool and mobile app developed by the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-Phivolcs).
The app provides a simple and easy-to-use tool for owners and occupants of residential houses and other 1-2 storey concrete hollow blocks (CHB) buildings.
Mobile users can now evaluate the safety of their CHB houses and understand their vulnerability to strong earthquakes by answering 12 questions. The results will determine if the structure is safe and presumably built according to standard construction procedures.
If not, the app may recommend further professional consultations and necessary structural strengthening.
How Safe is My House? is available for free download on the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/how-safe-is-my-house/id1573876933, or through a self-check evaluation form, which can be downloaded from the agency website: https://howsafeismyhouse.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/
This tool is based on the 2014 print information material, a major output of the collaborative project between DOST-PHIVOLCS, the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Science and Technology (JST), and the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP). A web-based version and Filipino translation will also be available soon through multiple channels.
Nivera added that when preparing for very destructive earthquakes, it is crucial for families to have a working evacuation plan, a family reunification plan, and go-bags at the ready.
This year’s Metro Manila edition of the Dagyaw Town Hall Meetings–organized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government-NCR, Department of Budget Management-NCR, and the Philippine Information Agency-NCR–has shifted its paradigm to a more people-centered governance, forging collaborative partnerships with various development and private sector organizations to introduce innovations.
This crucial event marked a cornerstone of the National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) activities.
The town hall, adopting the theme “Bantayog ng Katatagan at ang Pagbubuklod sa Layuning Kahandaan” (Monument of Resilience and Unity in Preparedness), primarily focused on earthquake readiness in Metro Manila. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
