Go pushes passage of proposed building law
CONSIDERING how prone the country is to disasters, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go again raised the importance of pushing for a stronger whole-of-nation approach in dealing with disasters as he reiterated his appeal for support for his Senate Bill (SB) 1181 or the proposed “Philippine Building Act.”
In an interview after the groundbreaking of Compostela Super Health Center in Davao de Oro on February 4, the lawmaker underscored that his measure aims to safeguard people’s lives and mitigate the impact of disasters through developing standards and benchmarks that all buildings and structures must meet, particularly the recommended structural stability and integrity designed to withstand disasters.
“I refiled this 19th Congress, my Senate Bill 1181 or the Philippine Building Act of 2022. It seeks to provide more effective regulation of planning, design, construction, occupancy, maintenance of all public and private buildings and structures promoting building resilience against natural and man-made calamities,” Go said.
The Philippines is positioned along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area where earthquakes and volcanic activities are more frequent than in any other part of the world. The country also fronts the Pacific Ocean, exposing it to a high number of typhoons and related weather disturbances annually.
For this reason, Go’s measure shall provide more effective regulation of planning, design, construction, occupancy, and maintenance of all public and private buildings and structures, promoting building resilience against natural and man-made calamities.
Citing that better infrastructure can lead to more economic opportunities, Go likewise mentioned that his proposed bill seeks to amend the National Building Code to ensure that all buildings and structures are built according to the principle of “building back better.”
Meanwhile, Go proposed SB 193 which aims to require every city, municipality and province nationwide to establish clean and safe temporary shelters for disaster victims.
