ILOILO City – All government buildings and critical infrastructure facilities across Western Visayas are now under mandatory structural inspection following the magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck Guimbal, Iloilo and shook Panay and Guimaras islands, prompting regional disaster authorities to move swiftly to prevent further risks to public safety.
Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) chairperson and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6 director Raul Fernandez issued Memorandum No. 18, Series of 2026 on Tuesday night, March 2, directing all local DRRM councils, heads of offices, and stakeholders to immediately conduct structural integrity assessments within their respective jurisdictions.
“In line with our made to ensure public safety, all local DRRM councils, heads of offices, and all stakeholders (must) immediately conduct an assessment off the structural integrity of buildings and other critical infrastructure facilities within your respective jurisdiction and/or areas of responsibility,” part of the memorandum stated.
Covered by the directive are vice chairpersons and members of the RDRRMC, chairpersons of provincial, city, municipal and barangay DRRMCs, heads of offices, and other concerned stakeholders.
The assessment aims to determine the extent of damage sustained by public and private structures, identify facilities that pose immediate risk to public safety, recommend appropriate actions such as repair, retrofitting or condemnation, and consolidate reports for submission to higher authorities to guide response and recovery measures.
All concerned agencies and offices were instructed to coordinate with their respective provincial, city or municipal engineering offices, Offices of the Building Official, and Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (LDRRMOs) to ensure inspections are conducted systematically and in accordance with established safety standards.
Initial assessment reports must be submitted not later than March 9, 2026.
LGUs ACT SWIFTLY
Several local government units in Iloilo province immediately acted on the directive.
In Tigbauan town, earlier reported as the epicenter of the quake, a joint inspection team conducted damage assessments Tuesday morning in school buildings and government offices, including barangay halls.
After inspection, authorities concluded that the Tigbauan Municipal Building remains stable and safe, with no disruption in operations reported.
Assessment and damage reports for schools are still being consolidated after some classrooms sustained cracks.
Mayor Virgilio Teruel left the decision on class resumption to school heads based on safety assessments.
“School administrators shall exercise their sound discretion whether to resume classes in the afternoon, if in their honest belief and assessment there is a great risk to the safety of learners due to damages in classrooms caused by yesterday’s (Monday) earthquake. Reliance on the assessment report by the LGU Joint Inspection Team is highly recommended,” part of Teruel’s statement said Tuesday morning, March 2.
In Guimbal, the quake’s epicenter, Mayor Jennifer Garin-Colada temporarily suspended classes Tuesday morning, March 3, to allow the Municipal Engineering Office, in coordination with school heads, to complete safety evaluations./PN
