A legislative inquiry into the collapse of a nine-story building in Pampanga province has been filed in the Senate.

In filing Senate Resolution No. 406, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said it is imperative for the Upper Chamber to look into the collapse of the edifice where four persons have been killed and 17 are still missing.

Pangilinan is referring to the building being constructed along Teodoro Street, Brgy. Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, which according to reports, was due to the unauthorized construction of an additional floor that may have weakened the building’s structural integrity. 

“This accident reflects the urgent need to strengthen the implementation of safety regulations in the construction of buildings, whether public or private. Because in the end, it is our poor countrymen who suffer from this negligence,” Pangilinan said in a statement.

SR No. 406 also seeks to conduct a comprehensive review of the National Building Code and related regulations, and to also strengthen occupational safety standards and ensure accountability of responsible parties.

The Senate inquiry also seeks to establish whether negligence, substandard materials, unauthorized modifications, insufficient oversight, or deficiencies in permitting, inspection, occupational safety enforcement, and disaster preparedness contributed to the collapse.

Pangilinan, whose roots trace back to Sto. Tomas, Pampanga, also condoled with the victims and their families and called on relevant government agencies to provide immediate assistance, medical support, and transparent updates on rescue and recovery operations.

“Our priority is the safety of our countrymen. We owe it to the victims to reveal the truth about this incident and to enact laws and policies to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future,” he said.

In a related development, Sen. Raffy Tulfo filed Senate Bill No. 2158, or the proposed “New Philippine Building Act” which primarily seeks to update general regulations and policies governing the construction of buildings in the Philippines.

Tulfo said the measure aims to replace Presidential Decree No. 1096, or the current “National Building Code of the Philippines,” which has been in effect since 1977.

PD No. 1096 is already considered outdated in addressing modern construction and engineering standards, according to the senator. 

“The effects of an outdated and poorly enforced building code are not just theoretical, they are real and felt all over the country,” Tulfo said in the explanatory note of the SB No. 2158.

Tulfo said that aside from the recent incident in Pampanga, the senator recalled another construction-related accident last Aug. 14, 2025, wherein a debris from a condominium building along Tomas Morato, Quezon City, fell on two students, resulting to one fatality. 

Investigations revealed that the incident was caused by the building’s poor maintenance and failure to install proper safety barriers and protective equipment.

He said these tragedies emphasize the need to revise and revisit the gaps that the proposed law seeks to address, including stricter and more independent structural design reviews, more stringent safety regulations in construction sites, higher accountability for contractors, and stronger inspection and enforcement mechanisms even before accidents occur.

The bill also seeks to impose criminal liabilities for building owners, professionals, contractors, recognized certifiers, structural peer reviewers, testing laboratories, and inspectors found negligent or in violation of its provisions. 

The measure seeks stringent penalties, including imprisonment of at least six years and fines not exceeding one percent of the estimated construction cost of the project, to violators of the proposed law. 

“Overall, this measure aims to keep people safe beyond just having rules on paper. It is vital that these rules are backed by the right people, enforced properly, and integrated into the law that has zero tolerance for negligence,” he said.