The City Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO)encouraged private establishments to hire their own engineers to conduct inspections on their buildings.
CDRRMO operations chief Rodrigo Bustillo told reporters in yesterday’s AFP-PNP press briefing, said that businesses should be prepared now that Davao City has been hit with a series of strong earthquakes in the past few months.
While the local government has deployed personnel of the Local Building Official and the City Engineer’s Office, the agencies are severely undermanned. But they revisited some of the buildings that sustained major damage from previous earthquakes to make sure they are not occupied.
“Maybe today or tomorrow, we can have a report from the City Engineer’s Office relative to the status of the buildings, “Bustillo said.
He also said some bridges sustained minor damage but was immediately repaired by the Department of Public Works and Highways. The government later declared them safe for use.
“We also tapped the private structural engineers. Given those ongoing assessments, we will come up (with recommendations on) what would be the actions, “he further said.
Meanwhile, Bustillo advised the public inside shopping malls to perform the duck, cover, and hold maneuver instead of running toward the exits. He said following the crowd will put them in danger of a stampede. If they are inside small buildings or their houses, they go out to the street and make sure they are nowhere near any structure or electric post that may collapse.
