Are our buildings really safe?
That's one issue here in Laguna province that has cropped up time and again every time a major earthquake hits elsewhere.
The most recent temblor – a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao that has killed 45 people (as of press time) and left thousands affected by collapsed buildings and structures – has once again hammered home the point: that we need to ensure the integrity of our infrastructure.
And let’s face it: these concerns of building safety in Laguna province aren't founded on mere speculation or conspiracy theories.
Every Lagunense, particularly in the densely-populated first district, knows that deep down in the earth is a lurking danger: a part of the West Valley Fault line that experts have repeatedly warned is ripe for a major earthquake.
The uncomfortable truth is that this fault line runs down Laguna’s western sector – the province’s most urbanized area where commercial, residential and industrial estates have boomed in past decades.
The potential impacts of a strong earthquake in this part of Laguna shouldn’t just be measured in the number of deaths or injuries.
We also ought to consider the potential short-term and long-term impacts to the economy not only of our region but our country as well, should the major industrial and commercial hubs that have propelled Laguna province towards economic prosperity suffer major damages.
The facts are simple, but damaging.
One: our laws governing the safety of our major infrastructure are so dated they no longer meet the current international standards.
Two: massive corruption running to the billions have resulted not only in non-existent, but substandard, public infrastructure.
Three: massive corruption has led to some officials looking the other way when it comes to overseeing the structural integrity of private buildings.
We don’t need yet another tremor to hammer home the point.
But the point is simple: it’s not just the earthquakes that kill.
It’s corruption, stupid.
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