DILG enlists student engineers in checking earthquake resilience of buildings
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will tap civil engineering students to help assess the earthquake resilience of buildings nationwide.
The DILG wants to know if buildings across the country can withstand a strong earthquake. To do this, they will work with universities offering civil engineering courses.
“We want to enlist the assistance and support universities and colleges offering civil engineering courses. The students will help us to assess the status of the building if these are vulnerable to earthquakes,” DILG Undersecretary Marlo Iringan said during a post-SONA discussion at Hilton Hotel in Pasay City.
The department hopes to create a tool to help local governments check building safety by the end of the year.
Iringan said the government has been improving disaster preparedness through the DILG’s “Operation Listo” program. This includes making plans to better handle risks and hazards.
“They are generally good at this point sa pamumuno Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos. Sinisiguro ng DILG ay nakikipagtulungan nang sa ganun magkaroon ng intervention ang ating LGUs at maitaas ang antas ng kanilang paghahanda hindi man lang sa environment and protection but also the other aspects of the government digital transformation. Makakaasa kayo for DILG makikipagtulungan tayo para sa ikakaunlad ng atin bansa [Through the leadership of Secretary Benhur Abalos the DILG ensures to provide assistance so that the LGUs will come up with interventions that will uplift the level of their preparations not only in the environmental protection but also in the other aspects of the government digital transformation],” Iringan said.
The DILG also plans to check the safety of important buildings like evacuation centers.
