Structural Design and Analysis - Legazpi, Albay, Bicol

31/07/2026

04/07/2026

CONSULT ENGINEERS, NOT FENG SHUI EXPERTS

SPECIAL ON SATURDAY: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) is urging Filipinos to prioritize consulting civil engineers over feng shui experts when building their homes, warning that only strict compliance with the National Building Code can prevent buildings from collapsing and killing occupants during a major earthquake.

PHIVOLCS Director Teresito Bacolcol made the appeal in an interview on DZRH News program "Special on Saturday" on July 4, saying buildings that follow minimum engineering standards may sustain damage during a strong earthquake but will not suffer the kind of total pancake collapse that kills people instantly.

"Minsan kasi we would rather pay ng mahal sa mga feng shui experts kaysa mag-konsulta sa mga engineers. Kapag nagpapagawa tayo ng bahay, again, let's not cut corners. Mag-consult na po tayo sa mga civil engineers, and we should follow the minimum engineering standards," Bacolcol said.

He said the June 8 magnitude 7.8 Sarangani earthquake proved the point—while some buildings collapsed, others remained standing, and the difference was compliance with the building code, which requires structures to withstand up to intensity 8 shaking.

Bacolcol clarified that the goal of the building code is not to keep structures damage-free, but to prevent total collapse, giving occupants enough time to escape—a distinction he said is critical for the public to understand.

"Kung large magnitude earthquakes, pwedeng masira ang building natin, but it will not collapse. Iyon naman po ang basically ang objective kung bakit meron tayong National Building Code—this is to save lives," Bacolcol said.

08/06/2026

Buildings properly designed and constructed according to the NSCP 2015 (National Structural Code of the Philippines) are engineered to withstand severe earthquakes, up to Magnitude 8.4.

This capacity is achieved through "ductile detailing," allowing the building to bend and absorb seismic energy without collapsing.

17/04/2026

Posted this exactly 2 years ago.

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