Bong Go pushes building law
Credit to Author: Javier J. Ismael| Date: Mon, 06 Jan 2020 17:05:31 +0000
SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go has filed a bill that seeks to provide standards on the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of buildings and structures.
Senate Bill (SB) 1252, also known as the “Philippine Building Act of 2019,” aims to safeguard the public welfare and to mitigate the impact of disasters by laying down a framework of minimum standards and requirements in line with mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and management efforts.
In filing SB 1252, Go explained that many elements were lacking or needed to be updated in the current building code.
“The National Building Code of the Philippines took effect on Feb. 19, 1977. Ilang dekada na po ang nakakalipas mula nang ito ay naging batas. Mula noon, marami na po tayong mga natutunan tungkol sa building safety dahil sa advancements in science, at pati na din po sa ating mga naging masasamang experience mula sa sakuna, tulad ng lindol na nangyari sa Mindanao. Panahon na upang ating pag-aralan ang pag-update sa National Building Code na ito (More than two decades have passed since this became a law. Since then, we have learned a lot about building safety because to the advancements in science, as well as from our bad experiences from disasters, such as earthquakes that hit Mindanao. It’s time that we consider updating the National Building Code),” he said.
The senator added that some safety standards on fire safety and sanitation were not mentioned in the current Building Code, leaving several loopholes and inadequacies that should be addressed.
“Kapansin pansin po na kahit na mayroong mga safety standards ang current Building Code, gaya ng fire safety and sanitation, hindi po specifically mentioned ang disaster resiliency dito. Napakahalaga ng disaster resiliency dito sa ating bansa dahil maliban sa around 20 typhoons ang pumapasok sa ating bansa taon-taon (Even if there are safety standards in the current Building Code, such as fire safety and sanitation, it doesn’t specifically mention disaster resiliency. Disaster resiliency is very important in our country because apart from some 20 typhoons that enter the country every year), our geographic location makes us vulnerable to other such as earthquakes, landslides, storm surges and more,” Go said.
The senator proposed that buildings and structures should be built based on the principle of “building back better.”
“Building back better requires that in the reconstruction of damaged structures, due consideration shall be given to the possibility of the disaster repeating itself,” he explained.
To ensure the safety and resilience of buildings and structures, the bill provides a system of classification as to their type of construction according to fire resistance rating, use or occupancy and required permitting process.
General planning requirements for the location, siting and zoning of buildings and structures are also provided in the bill, all of which should also take into account the environment and its conservation and protection.
According to Go, the use of materials, pieces of equipment, plants and tools, and selection of personnel for construction must also conform to reference standards to ensure quality of materials and workmanship.
He added that the measure covers the review and inspection of old buildings to ensure that structural integrity of these structures is compliant.
“Huwag na po natin hintayin magkaroon pa ng isa pang sakuna. Importante na maging handa ang ating bansa para masigurado na safe at disaster-resilient ang ating mga komunidad (Let’s not wait for another disaster. It is important for our country to be prepared in order to ensure that our communities are safe and disaster-resilient),” Go said.