To help communities prepare for the threat of high-magnitude earthquakes, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is calling on all Local Government Units (LGUs) to conduct comprehensive infrastructure audits on both public and private buildings within their jurisdictions.

The DILG emphasized that assessing the structural integrity of buildings is crucial to ensure public safety and reduce the risk of casualties and damage during major seismic events. Beyond auditing key public facilities such as hospitals, schools, government offices, and emergency response centers, the DILG aims to expand the infrastructure audit to include privately owned structures.

“With the increasing frequency and intensity of earthquakes, proactive preparedness is our best defense,” the DILG said. “Through harmonized audits, stronger partnerships, and evidence-based planning, we can build safer, more resilient communities across the country.”

In 2024, the DILG partnered with key government agencies and stakeholders, including the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, to develop the Harmonized Infrastructure Audit Tool (HIAT). The HIAT provides a standardized framework for evaluating building resilience and identifying potential vulnerabilities before seismic disasters.

To date, the DILG has trained 18 high-risk LGUs from the National Capital Region (NCR), CALABARZON, and Central Luzon, areas traversed by the West Valley Fault (WVF), to carry out infrastructure audits. As of October 15, another 12 LGUs in NCR and 20 LGUs in Cavite which are outside the WVF corridor have completed a similar training, with 10 LGUs in Central Luzon set to follow suit by the end of the month.

As part of the national roll-out, the Department has also developed a corps of trained coaches composed of technical experts from professional organizations, academic institutions, the DILG, and local government functionaries from 74 LGUs nationwide. These coaches are equipped to mentor local audit teams and cascade the use of HIAT across their respective regions.

The DILG is also encouraging the private sector to partner with regional government agencies, engineering associations, and academic institutions through the Local Infrastructure Learning Hubs which will be established by the Department’s regional offices. These hubs will support local audit teams chaired by local chief executives and composed of building and disaster management officers.

By institutionalizing innovative safety mechanisms and strengthening intersectoral collaboration, the DILG reaffirms its commitment to building disaster-ready localities and ensuring a safer infrastructure sector for all Filipinos. ###