The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)  will seek the assistance of the universities offering civil engineering courses and various engineering organizations to determine the structural safety of buildings in various parts of the country. 

At the post State-of the Nation Address (SONA) discussion, DILG Undersecretary Marlo Iringan explained that the move will enable the department to find out if any building in the country is vulnerable to earthquakes.

“We also want to tap CHED (Commission on Higher Education). We want to enlist the assistance and support universities and colleges offering civil engineering courses. The students will help us to assess the status of the building if these are vulnerable to earthquakes. We hope it will be able to come up with a tool by the end of the year to roll out this in local governments in the country,’’ Iringan said.

Iringan noted that the government has made steps in disaster preparedness through the DILG’s "Operation Listo" program, which has policies pertaining to efficient risk and hazard management processes.

Iringan explained that the Listo (Alert) protocol urges the local government units (LGUs) to come up with enhanced resilient disaster and calamity measures with the DILG having prepared a more institutionalized Listo policy.

The "Operation Listo," the DILG’s advocacy program, aims to strengthen the disaster preparedness of the LGUs by means of the whole-of-government approach with systematic local protocols for disaster preparedness, response, and monitoring.

“They are generally good at this point sa pamumuno Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos sinisiguro ng DILG ay nakikipagtulungan nang sa ganun magkaroon ng intervention ang ating LGUs at maitaas ang antas ng kanilang paghahanda hindi man lang sa environment and protection but also the other aspects of the government digital transformation makakaasa kayo for DILG makikipagtulungan tayo para sa ikakaunlad ng atin bansa (through the leadership of Secretary Benhur Abalos the DILG ensures to provide assistance so that the LGUs will come up with interventions that will uplift the level of their preparations not only in the environmental protection but also in the other aspects of the government digital transformation),’’ Iringan noted.

Iringan also cited the need to ensure the structural integrity and the capacity of vital facilities such as evacuation centers.