CEBU CITY, Philippines (PNA) -– The Cebu City Office of the Building Official (OBO) has assured that buildings in the city constructed after 2005 can withstand magnitude 8 earthquakes as mandated by the National Building Code.

Acting Building Official Josefa Ylanan said buildings constructed before 2005 were designed to endure quakes with magnitude of up to seven.

But Ylanan said some buildings in the city are vulnerable to strong earthquakes.

Ylanan pointed out that even in Japan, where advanced technology is used in construction projects, some buildings are still not stable enough to withstand strong earthquakes.

Ylanan said the OBO does not issue building permits and certificates of occupancy if the applicants do not comply with standards.

But she said the issuance of an occupancy permit cannot guarantee that the building can withstand quakes with magnitude of more than eight.

She said engineers hired by property owners make sure buildings meet requirements.

Engineers and contractors could face sanctions if a building does not comply with a National Building Code.

Ylanan said designing buildings involves seismic analysis to withstand earthquake hazards and this is why buildings in Cebu City remained upright even after last Monday’s magnitude 6.9 tremor.

She, however, urged building owners to be wary and to hire civil engineers to inspect the structural integrity of their properties.

She said there is a need to assure building occupants that they live or work in a safe place.

Meanwhile in Iloilo City, the city engineer’s office (CEO) has reported a total of 6 government buildings and 14 private commercial buildings in the central downtown business district (CBD) to have suffered cracks caused by the 6.9 magnitude earthquake last Monday.

City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said the earthquake jolted the whole Visayas area and Iloilo City suffered an Intensity 5 quake.

The five-story Justice Ramon Q. Avanceña Hall of Justice suffered deflection of a portion of the second floor and ground floor slabs while there are noticeable cracks on the walls of most offices and cracks on the exterior walls.

Similarly, vibrations on the second floor holding the Office of the Prosecutor was already noticed even before the Feb. 6 earthquakes.

The inspection team recommended the temporary closure of the Hall of Justice portions affected by the earthquake until such time rehabilitation and remedial measures are in place.

Other government buildings with superficial cracks are the Registry of Deeds, City Social Hall building, SPED school, and the Bureau of Internal Revenue. The PhilHealth Office, renting a building owned by businessman Alfonso Tan, also suffered widening of existing detached bottom slab and cracks on the third floor.

The CBD heritage buildings with superficial cracks are the PNB building, Powell building, Masonic Temple building, Regent Arcade, Villanueva-Jamandre building, Javellana building, Hoskyn’s building that houses the Sam Shoe Emporium and Washington Supermart, among others also suffered cracks on the exterior and interior parts.

Also reported with superficial cracks are the Divinagracia building that houses Elsans and other stores, Fatima building that houses F&C Pawnshop and others, Villanueva building that houses AD Sarabia Pawnshop and others, Dulalia building that houses Tai Lai, Fashion Line and others, Dominique Mall building that houses Unitop Store, S. Villanueva building that houses Go Shop, Hua Bee, Otani, among others, and the Nr De Thuat and Sons building that houses MLhuiller and Parisian Shoe, among others.

The city engineering office report also recommended the inspection and validation to be conducted by the Department of Public Works and Highways.