INTRODUCTION

People in the Philippines

An uptick in population growth has been a noticeable trend around the world,
especially in the Philippines. As of August 2016, the current population of the
country is placed at 102,487,108 from the latest United Nations estimates. The
Philippines ranks 12th on the list of Total World Population where 44.9% of the
population is urban.1 The population increase lead to migration to already
unprotected and hazardous areas on coastal, urban and marginal lands. Low income
families often migrate to urban places to have better opportunities for employment
and good education. This means that quite often, these very families could resort to
settling on marginal lands or hazard-prone areas. 2
Developing countries like the Philippines have urban areas that are generally
vulnerable to the dangers of living with natural disasters. This is further instigated
by poor quality housing, inadequate urban planning and insufficient investment in
infrastructures like roads- right of way. People from marginal areas have inadequate
understanding of these risks and potential site hazards.
Most of their income is allocated to their daily means of survival, and as a
result, they are much more vulnerable to the dangers of living in a hazard-prone
area. To them, the perceived benefits of preventions are rarely sufficient for them to
invest with.
Existing development and risk management related policies these days, focus
on natural hazard determination, prevention and mitigation. In developing
countries, risk management is seen not as an investment but seen as a cost which
can lead to more loss of lives and abundant damage of properties. (hindi talaga
priority ng mga homeowners ang disaster risk until maranasan nila yung disaster)
There is a need for greater risk management efforts because the risk associated
with natural hazards is increasing more rapidly than the efforts to reduce the risk. 3
In the Philippines, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
(NDRRMC) with the help of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
conducted several disaster risk preventions activities, like the nationwide
1 Philippines Population. (n.d.). Retrieved from worldmeters:
http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/philippines-population/

2 Build Change. (2014). Seismic Retrofit of Housing in Post-Disaster Situation - Basic

Engineering Principles For Development Professionals: A Primer. (U. S. (USAID)., Ed.) 48.

3 Build Change. (2014). Seismic Retrofit of Housing in Post-Disaster Situation - Basic

Engineering Principles For Development Professionals: A Primer. (U. S. (USAID)., Ed.)
48.

earthquake drill exercise last June 2016. The efforts done are not sufficient
especially to residents having substandard houses living within 5 meter from the
West Valley Fault in Metro Manila. (I think okie lang, kasi di naman natin sinabi na
substandard yung houses nila pero we are interested sa mga case like that)
Earthquake in the Philippines
In 1920, an earthquake in the Philippines reached a magnitude of 8.5 on the
Richter scale. It amounted to almost 3000 casualties in Mindanao, and is known as
the strongest and deadliest earthquake in Philippine history. Almost 40,000 houses
in Regions 9 and 12 were severely damaged.
One of the latest earthquakes to occur in the Philippines landed was the
Bohol Earthquake that occurred in 2013. It had a magnitude of 7.2 and as a result,
more than 3 million people injured and 150 were killed. Many houses and
historically significant structures were destroyed.
Amongst the top 5 Earthquakes that happened in the Philippines, an average
of 7.6 magnitude has been experienced. In Metro Manila, a selection of 3
earthquake scenarios was analyzed by the Japanese International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), for a
detailed investigation: a West Valley Fault earthquake with 7.2 magnitude, an
offshore earthquake from the Manila Trench with a 7.9 magnitude and a 6.5
magnitude earthquake affecting Manila Bay. {west valley fault yung tatamaan ni
pembo}
Four major earthquakes have been investigated in the region of the West
Valley Fault which was recorded 615 years ago. It has a recurrence interval of 400 to
500 years. {May report na about this: so I guess true talaga siya}It might be
impossible to predict when the next earthquake may occur but scientists can pin [it]
down4 The last major earthquake originating from the fault was recorded in 1658.
Seismological models foresee the possibility of another offshore 8.5
magnitude earthquake in this time of our generation, which could stem from a
major movement of the West Valley Fault that could result in a massive disaster.
The larger the earthquake, the longer the shaking, Phivolcs Director Renato
Solidum Jr. said. A longer shaking with a higher magnitude can result to higher
intensity and damage to residents, infrastructures, and others. The models estimate
that there could be at least 34,000 fatalities through the 100-kilometer fault
(through six cities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces), 340,000 partially
damaged homes and 170,000 completely collapsed houses (with higher numbers
for informal settlers) could be among the casualties in the wake of this major
earthquake.
4 Angeli, K. (2015, July 30). Disaster Preparedness and Recovery : The Big One Could Kill
34,000 in the Philippines. Retrieved from Emergencymgmt:
http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disaster/The-Big-One-Could-Kill-34000-in-thePhilippines.html

The Importance of the Study

With the help of a Non-Government Organization, Build Change, the Metro Manila
informal housing market is our the target due to lack of proper engineering design,
material quality and construction quality required for disaster-resistant buildings
prevalent among informal housing settlements.
In Makati City several barangays are located on or near an active fault line and
approximately 25% of Metro Manilas 20 million total residents live in informal
settlements. However, cost-effective and culturally-appropriate retrofit techniques
are available to structurally strengthen houses. This project will focus on 4 early
phase aspects of the Build Change housing retrofit program in Metro Manila: 1.
Existing building structural assessment, 2. Existing building documentation, 3.
Material and assembly laboratory testing and 4. Technical observation of retrofit
construction.
A pilot study of Pre-Retrofitting Year 1 exist of homeowner preference survey, site
survey and sketch and seismic evaluation using the Seismic Evaluation and Retrofit
Manual MTPTC Training.5 The housing subsector studies address the following into 3
categories. First, Housing investigation. Housing investigation are done during onsite exploration, documentation and interviewing of the owner. Second, the material
used are check and identified. Commonly the quality and the location where the
material is produced are to be identified. Third, the labor who constructed the house
of the owner. The skill level of local builders and the tools and techniques used in
constructing.
Seismic analysis is the potential evidence if the house is compliant or not compliant
to renovations or retrofitting. This analysis provides safe factor measurements
based on the US standards, ASCE-31 Seismic Evaluation of Existing Buildings and
ASCE-41 Seismic Rehabilitation of Existing Buildings. The checklist have 6 major
points: 1. Geologic site hazards, 2. Foundation, 3. Building system, 4. Masonry walls,
5. Building Configuration, 6. Building Components. 6

5 Build Change and Degenkolb Engineers. (2013, September 9). Seismic Evaluation and
Retrofit Manual . MTPTC Training, April and May 2011, p. 90.

6 Build Change and Degenkolb Engineers. (2013, September 9). Seismic Evaluation and
Retrofit Manual . MTPTC Training, April and May 2011, p. 90.