BACOLOD City – In response to a series of tremors recently felt in the city, the city government and the Department of Education (DepEd)–Bacolod City Division will implement a color-tagging system to identify and monitor the structural condition of public school buildings for everyone’s safety.
Several classrooms across various campuses were reported to have sustained minor to major structural damage following the recent earthquakes.
According to findings from the five inspection teams formed by the city government to conduct the Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA), some of the defects observed were old damages that may have been aggravated by the tremors.
Through the RDANA initiative, the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) and DepEd developed a color-tagging system to classify the safety status of school buildings.
CEO Officer-in-Charge Engr. Loben Ceballos explained that green tags indicate schools that are safe for occupancy; yellow tags identify those requiring minor to major repairs or with partial restrictions; while red tags mark structures deemed unsafe for public use.
“This list will serve as our database to guide future planning and development toward building safer school facilities in the city,” Ceballos emphasized.
Based on the assessment results, 38 schools were classified under the green category, showing no structural threats or only minor issues. Seven schools were tagged yellow, meaning they are safe for partial occupancy but require repairs, while four schools need further inspection and evaluation.
No schools were classified under the red category, or unsafe for occupancy, according to the joint evaluation conducted by city engineers and building officials.
Classes in all levels resumed on October 15 after Mayor Greg Gasataya lifted the suspension imposed on Monday and Tuesday due to the tremors. The mayor earlier directed the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), CEO, and Office of the Building Official (OBO), in coordination with DepEd, to conduct the RDANA to ensure that all government structures, including schools, are safe to use.
A total of 49 public schools were simultaneously inspected by composite teams from the said offices.
“We are focusing on public schools because private schools have their own safety officers to conduct facility inspections,” Gasataya said.
He added that the city government will now conduct annual inspections of all government buildings as part of its proactive safety measures.
“We have decided to conduct yearly inspections not just for classrooms but for all government facilities to ensure the integrity of public infrastructure,” he added.
The mayor also encouraged the public to report any visible damage to school buildings or other public structures to the authorities for proper assessment and immediate action./PN
