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THE Cebu City council is urging the Office of the Building Official to inspect the structural integrity of schools and other old public buildings in the city in the wake of the recent earthquakes which devastated Haiti and Chile.
They also asked the Department of Trade and Industry to look into some hardware stores in the city which are allegedly selling substandard iron bars and other housing materials.
Councilor Arsenio Pacaña, the chairman of the committee on trade, passed the resolution which was approved to protect consumers against deceptive sales practices and for the safety of the citizens, especially from fire and calamities like earthquakes.
Pacaña said the government should evaluate its disaster preparedness program in order to prepare from disasters like earthquake, since some parts of the Philippines are located within a major fault line and there is a real fear that a strong earthquake could strike the country anytime.
He said reports of alleged widespread corruption in the Philippines Construction Industry and tendency of contractors to use substandard materials should be checked by the DTI.
These allegations have bolstered doubts that a great number of buildings, condominiums and other residential houses being built are allegedly unsafe and would not able to withstand strong earthquakes.
Since there are also public calls for all local disaster councils in every local government unit to conduct earthquake drills in schools, it would be appropriate for government to strongly check the structural integrity of school buildings, old public buildings and other structures.
Meanwhile, Cebu City administrator Francisco ?Bimbo? Fernandez clarified that the City Hall legislative building have yet to secure an occupancy permit.
The legislative building has been used for more than two years already after its renovation.
He denied a report published in a local daily which said that Dakay Construction, contractor for the renovation of the legislative building, had failed to secure an occupancy permit until now.
Fernandez said the OBO issued an occupancy permit on Oct. 17, 2007 which was signed by building official Tony Sanchez. ?I would like to make a clarification that the city's legislative building has an occupancy permit,? he said in a phone interview. /REPORTER FE MARIE D. DUMABOC
