House Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo First District Representative Janette Garin emphasized that building owners should follow the infrastructure standards as number of structures in Sarangani were shattered after the magnitude 6.8 earthquake.

This was raised by Garin during her interpellation on ACT-CIS Partylist Rep. Erwin Tulfo’s privilege speech regarding his call to amend building code after infrastructures in Sarangani were destroyed due to the earthquake.

“Hindi po ba kapag government projects or even privately funded projects and privately-owned infrastructure, hindi po ba supposedly dapat earthquake proof or calamity proof. Hindi ba mayroon po ‘yung standard?” Garin said during the session on November 21.

Buildings in the country should withstand magnitude 7 to 8.4 earthquake, Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines earlier said, citing the National Structural Code of the Philippines.

The Iloilo lawmaker also said that the buildings which were destroyed due to earthquake have not yet reached its lifespan of 50 years.

“With the statement that it was constructed in 1990, will our distinguish colleague agree with me na kapag ganito ang mga imprastraktura, ang kanilang lifespan has a minimum of 50 years?” Garin noted.

“Kung sasabihin po nating 50 years eh sana po ay ginawa ‘yan noong 1973 but with the statement na it was constructed in 1990 ibig sabihin po nito ay nasa 17 years pa lamang po ang lifespan ng project na ito,” she added.

Garin also expressed her gratitude to Tulfo for his quest to amend the building code.

Last November 17, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake rocked Davao Occidental and had road damage amounting to P21.9 million in Sarangani.