Build stronger and safer
Two viral videos from last Monday’s magnitude 7.8 earthquake in southern Mindanao told contrasting stories: one of resilience and the other of disaster.
The video of a 36-story condominium in Davao City swaying during the tremor showed that buildings could withstand earthquakes if they met construction standards and complied with the country’s building code.
The other video, on the other hand, showed a three-story commercial building in General Santos City housing a fast-food chain and a radio station collapsing into rubble. This should serve as a cautionary tale and prompt authorities to inspect the integrity of structures, especially those in vulnerable areas and densely populated cities like in Metro Manila which sit on top of an active fault line.
The quake, which triggered a tsunami alert, damaged structures including houses and school buildings, as well as roads and highways, leaving many towns isolated and unable to receive crucial help. The infrastructure damage, some of which took days to clear, made it difficult for rescue workers to reach communities within the first 72 hours—or three days—known as the “golden rescue time.” Once this window passes, the survival rate for people trapped under debris drops significantly, as happened in Glan, Sarangani, one of the hardest hit, where it took three days for rescuers to access.
Earthquake drills
There is, however, a consensus that the number of fatalities would have been higher had it happened later in the day, or in the evening, when most people were asleep. That it happened at 7:37 a.m., when students were attending their schools’ flag ceremony or most workers were still on their way to work, saved many lives. Imagine if the earthquake happened while students were already in classrooms or there were crowds inside buildings that could have easily led to a stampede; or at night, like what happened in September last year during the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu?
Timing aside, officials have also acknowledged that disaster drills have helped keep the number of fatalities low—46 as of Friday’s update from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
These drills are mandated under Republic Act No. 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, enacted in May 2010. In pursuance of this law, the NDRRMC has implemented quarterly nationwide simultaneous earthquake drills in schools and government offices. This year’s second-quarter drill has been scheduled for this coming week, on June 18. The government should also ensure that these drills are conducted in private companies and residential buildings.
Evacuation sites
Alongside drills, it is crucial to designate emergency assembly points for use when actual disasters happen. But the lack of open spaces, especially in Metro Manila, is obvious and could pose risks to the public in the event of an earthquake and make rescue operations challenging. These spaces are important for post-disaster work because they can facilitate a more efficient system for emergency responders. It will also be easier for the government to set up temporary evacuation sites and centralize assistance. But is the public even aware of existing assembly points and designated open spaces where they can go when a disaster hits?
Lawmakers must also pass proposed amendments to the outdated Presidential Decree No. 1096, or the National Building Code of the Philippines, which was signed in 1977 and whose implementing rules were last updated in 2005. The law already falls short of modern engineering standards, climate resilience, and current disaster preparedness requirements.
The House of Representatives already passed House Bill No. 6615 in December 2025, but the Senate has yet to act on its version. Among others, HB 6615 seeks to update standards on the planning, design, construction, occupancy, maintenance, and demolition of buildings. It also introduces a new classification and a different set of standards for buildings according to use or occupancy, for example, residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, etc.
Pacific Ring of Fire
Surigao del Sur Rep. Romeo Momo Sr., the bill’s author, pointed out that his measure prohibits “unauthorized deviations from approved plans, construction beyond permitted specifications” and “non-compliance with structural and safety standards and violations of permits and regulatory requirements.” The bill also requires structural review of buildings every 15 years, which should be essential for a country located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.
An earthquake lasts only a few seconds to a few minutes, but without the necessary preparations and precautions, its impact can be a lifetime. While disaster drills and public preparedness save lives, they mean nothing if structures are weak and vulnerable. It is also not enough for the government to build more infrastructure just to claim progress, it must also build stronger and safer.
