Getting ready for the ‘Big One’ to strike

This photo provided by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Masbate, shows damages at the Magallanes coliseum in Masbate province, central Philippines after an earthquake struck early Thursday Feb. 16, 2023. (City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Masbate via AP)

ALL too predictably, the massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake on Feb 6 that devastated southeastern Turkiye and parts of Syria, and claimed at least 40,000 lives, has triggered fresh calls from lawmakers to overhaul the Philippines’ 46-year-old National Building Code and prepare the country for the much-dreaded “Big One”.

Senator Francis Tolentino said early this week that amending provisions of the building code was “long overdue”, as it was crucial to ensure the structural integrity of establishments to minimise the loss of life and damage to property should a devastating quake hit, particularly in Metro Manila where most high-rise buildings are located.Tolentino’s timely appeal, however, is nothing new. In fact, the same sad refrain resurfaces every time a temblor hits the country.