DepEd: School buildings to be graded for quake safety

School buildings will be tested and graded for structural integrity, as the Department of Education (DepEd) seeks to make sure they are safe against earthquakes. DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus said his agency is eying inspection and assessment of school buildings in a joint effort with the Department of Public Works and Highways. “We will ask help from the DPWH in inspecting and grading school buildings. School buildings with structural problems must be refortified, especially those located near fault lines," Lapus said in an interview on dzXL radio. He said he will draw up a complete list of schools that would be inspected. “Makikipag-ugnayan tayo sa DPWH kung ano ang nararapat na gawin (We will coordinate with the DPWH on what to do)," he said, adding, there should be a rating system for buildings. The government has heightened its earthquake-safety awareness after a magnitude-7 quake devastated Haiti last January 12. In the meantime, Lapus appealed to parents not to panic over the potential danger of an earthquake destroying the school buildings where their children study. He said the DepEd headquarters in eastern Metro Manila is itself in the middle of a fault system. “If everyone panics, no one would live or work near a fault system," he said. Last week, the DPWH reported that around 20 buildings, including schools, may be unsafe against strong quakes. [See: 20 Metro Manila buildings may be unsafe, says DPWH] In an interview, DPWH Secretary Victor Domingo said 60 structures had been inspected and a third of these had been placed under "urgent detailed evaluation." - LBG, GMANews.TV