ILOILO City – The recent magnitude 6.9 earthquake has exposed the fragility of Iloilo City’s historic downtown, where six of 80 heritage buildings were declared unsafe, with one structure requiring urgent retrofitting to prevent disaster.
The city government’s Office of the Building Official (OBO) confirmed that while most structures passed inspection, time and neglect have left several landmarks at risk.
The Locsin-Coscolluela building on the corner of Ledesma and Iznart streets topped the danger list.\ Inspectors found its structural integrity compromised.
“Out of 80, we consider 74 as safe. Those declared unsafe were previously issued recommendations for retrofitting, which they failed to comply with. Because of their age, deterioration has set in,” said OBO chief Engr. Mavi Gustilo.
In the case of the Locsin-Coscolluela building, the OBO “strongly urges immediate repair and even possible evacuation of occupants.”
“We cannot predict when a stronger earthquake might hit,” said Gustilo.
Many of the inspected buildings qualify as heritage because they are over 50 years old, some listed under both local and national inventories.
“Heritage structures are part of our identity, but their vulnerability is real. Retrofits like carbon fiber reinforcement and epoxy restoration can extend their life, but these need to be acted upon immediately,” Gustilo said.
The danger, however, is not limited to heritage sites. Of 34 government facilities checked, 11 were deemed unsafe and three classified as high risk, including a building at Iloilo Central Elementary School, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation office at Iloilo National High School, and one structure at West Visayas State University Medical Center, where inspectors found major spalling or falling concrete.
Two high-rises were also reviewed. Bernwood Tower on General Luna Street had cracks in its window supports and fallen plaster, while Lafayette Park at Megaworld showed hairline cracks. However, both were still cleared for occupancy.
So far, only 30 to 40 percent of Iloilo’s multi-storey buildings have been inspected, but Gustilo stressed that under the National Building Code (PD 1096), her office is mandated to ensure safety across all types of structures.
“Previously, we already saw debris falling from heritage buildings during tremors. We cannot wait for another strong quake to happen. Preservation must go hand-in-hand with safety,” she said.
Mayor Raisa Treñas earlier pressed building owners to follow safety rules, a call Gustilo echoed. “We must act now to safeguard both our people and our heritage,” she said.
Asked whether Iloilo could withstand a quake as strong as Cebu’s, Gustilo was blunt: compliance is key.
“Mandated kita nga mag-inspect sang mga buildings, especially ang mga 15 years old and older, may disaster man o wala, para nga in case mag-abot gid man sa amo na nga magnitude, those buildings nga naka-agi or napa-evaluate nila ang ila building plans during the application of building permit, kag insakto lang nga pagtrabaho, with supervision sang technical, wala sang substandard. Maka-endure ang aton mga buildings,” she said.
Gustilo added that defects often stem from poor workmanship and cheap materials.
“Sa nakita naton, mga minor hairline cracks man lang. Ang factors guro is ang construction method, supervision guro nga kulang, kag paggamit sang substandard materials — amo na nga may makita kita nga defects kun kis-a,” she said.
Building owners must prioritize retrofitting before it is too late, Gustilo stressed.
“Ang pag-retrofit kag pag-ensure sang integrity sang building indi lang para sa tagsa kundi para man sa seguridad sang tanan nga naga gamit kag naga-agi sa sulod kag sa palibot sini. Dapat proactive kita, indi maghulat sang linog bag-o maghulag,” she said./PN
