The Office of Civil Defense (OCD-6) has ordered local disaster risk reduction and management councils (DRRMCs) to assess the structural integrity of their infrastructures to ensure their safety and resilience.
OCD-6 Director Jose Roberto Nuñez issued Memorandum 63 on July 27 shortly after a magnitude 7 earthquake struck parts of northern Luzon, information officer Cindy Ferrer said in an interview on Thursday, July 28.
“For now it is needed, especially (because) we have old churches and high-rise buildings in highly urbanized cities and even in component cities,” she said.
The assessment will be coordinated with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and their respective provincial, city, or municipal engineering offices.
“The municipal DRRMCs may also opt to cascade the assessment down to the barangay level,” Ferrer added.
The assessment will be compiled and furnished to the DPWH and the Department of the Interior and Local Government for information, reference, and recommendations.
The OCD has issued a memorandum every year since 2017 for the conduct of the assessment. However, compliance with the memo has been poor due to the lack of sanctions for failure to submit a report.
Western Visayas has six provinces, two highly urbanized and component cities, and 117 municipalities.PNA
