To be demolished are buildings at the Araullo High School located at the corner of Taft and U.N. Avenue in Manila; Manuel Roxas High School, also in Manila; Diliman Elementary School, Quezon City, and the Batasan Hills Elementary School, also in Quezon City.

The affected building at the Araullo High School is a four-storey structure with 36 classrooms.

Another affected structure at the Manuel Roxas in Paco has 64 classrooms. It has 100 classrooms with some 50 students occupying every classroom five days a week.

A building at the Batasan Hills Elementary School was also declared unsafe for occupancy after authorities found the upper concrete floor of the structure defective.

Authorities said that the condemned buildings were damaged by earthquake in 1990 and were later retrofitted.

But the DPWH Task Force findings showed that the retrofitture activities continued to deteriorate and pose danger to its occupants once another earthquake happen.

Ebdane was reported to have directed the DPWH engineering division to conduct technical evaluation of the buildings.

DPWH sources said that Ebdane is expected to approve the Task Force’s recommendation anytime.

Of the four school buildings set for demolition, only the Araullo High School has prepared an area where affected students could attend classes.

The construction of the new buildings will take 10 months, said DPWH Assistant Secretary Rafael C. Yabut, Vice Chairman of the DPWH Task Force on Implementation of Retrofitting and Repairs of Bridges and other Infrastructures chaired by Undersecretary Manuel Bonoan.

School officials of the affected schools were advised to look for temporary places where they can hold classes during the construction period.

Bonoan said Secretary Ebdane has directed them to continue their inspection and evaluation of public infrastructures that showed signs of defects.

DPWH Undersecretary Salvador Pleyto is the chairman of the DPWH Task Force on Building and Bridges Inspection.