ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR, (PIA) – The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC)-9 urges all government entities in the Zamboanga Peninsula to intensify public awareness on safety by implementing engineering solutions to save thousands of lives from potential devastating earthquakes.
The council recently approved a proposal from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-9 to issue a resolution directing all regional government agencies to strictly adhere to and adopt earthquake engineering solutions in the design and construction of structures, particularly for living and work purposes.
OCD Assistant Regional Director Atty. Ruel S. Halanes emphasized the importance of proactive efforts by government agencies, local government units, and law enforcement authorities in preparing for disasters such as earthquakes.
“We are more on the preventive-approach-rather-than-sorry-later to save thousands of lives,” Atty. Halanes said.
Engineering solutions, or the application of engineering to address earthquake-related challenges, is a specialized area within civil engineering. This field focuses on designing and constructing infrastructures, such as buildings, bridges, airports, highways, and water supply systems.
These solutions include adhering strictly to the National Building Code, prohibiting construction in landslide-prone areas, establishing no-build zones in landslide and earthquake/tsunami-prone areas, raising public awareness on safety through engineering solutions, and ensuring strict compliance with the safety provisions of the Structural Code of the Philippines, including structural audits and ‘Walk-the-Fault’ inspections.
Meanwhile, the RDRRMC is also ensuring that plans are accounted for to address telecommunication outages and improve crisis communication and public information. The council considers the inclusion of Tsunami Preparedness and Response Planning for drill scenarios, especially those whose locations are along the coastal areas and river banks.
These steps are part of the RDRRMC’s action to revisit and update the contingency plans of government agencies as an inclusive and holistic approach to strengthen disaster preparedness in the Zamboanga Peninsula. (EDT/CCP/EAM/PIA9)
