Safer infrastructure, water security sought

MANILA, Philippines —  A private sector body that advises President Marcos on government policies is pushing for measures that seek to make buildings safer, as well as manage floods and ensure water security, citing the need for faster and more coordinated action to mitigate the impact of disasters.

The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) presented its recommendations during its eighth infrastructure sector meeting with President Marcos at Malacañang yesterday.

The meeting tackled concrete measures to strengthen the country’s infrastructure resilience and water security, enforce higher standards for buildings and construction materials and improve disaster preparedness, flood management and water infrastructure, according to the Presidential Communications Office.

“We should not wait for the next earthquake, flood or drought. We need to act before it happens,” Sabin Aboitiz, PSAC lead convenor and president of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, said yesterday.

To ensure the safety of buildings, the council is calling for the full implementation of PNS 49:2026 or stronger standards for earthquake-resistant reinforcing steel and tighter checks on imported cement.

PSAC is also seeking a Building Resilience Seal for homes and buildings inspected and found to be resilient to earthquakes.

Noting that 12,500 metric tons of imported cement were destroyed by the trade department last April for failing key strength and durability tests, the group called for strict enforcement of required testing before such products reach the market.

With regard to flooding, the council suggested the clearing of the Manggahan Floodway, pursuing the Parañaque Spillway, supporting waste-to-energy facilities and creating a Department of Water Resources to ensure better coordination of flood control, drainage, drought response and water supply.

Meanwhile, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said that all major national roads and highways will have street drainage inlets and built-in trash traps to standardize flood-resistant road infrastructure throughout the country, starting with Metro Manila.

Dizon said the policy for a nationwide widening of street drainage inlets and the integration of built-in trash traps came after successful tests along EDSA by the Department of Public Works and Highways. – Rainier Allan Ronda

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