Amid ‘earthquake season’, Duterte orders LGUs to inspect buildings

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered local governments across the country to start inspecting the structural integrity of buildings in their respective jurisdictions.

According to Cecille Villarosa's report on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho", Duterte said the inspections should start immediately.

"It is time for the LGUs to inspect all buildings. Umpisahan na nila ngayon," Duterte said in an interview.

"The earthquake season has come," he added.

At least three major earthquakes hit parts of Mindanao in October, the latest on was a Magnitude 6.5 that hit on Friday morning.

PHIVOLCS said Mindanao could experience more earthquakes of similar magnitude until the end of the year.

"Base sa experience natin sa mga ibang places, pag ganyang hindi nya nire-release kagad yung energy, unti-unti niyang nire-release, posibleng maraming moderate-sized na earthquake na mangyayari," said Dr. Bartolome Bautista, the Deputy Director of the PHIVOLCS, in Saleema Refran's "24 Oras" report.

He was referring to how earthquakes are often released in small, moderate-sized tremors.

Because of the strong earthquakes that originated in Tulunan, Cotabato City, PHIVOLCS is considering the possibility that there is a hidden fault located in the area, according to Refran's report.

At present, the agency has deployed a team to set up four temporary monitoring stations to search and map the fault.

The PHIVOLCS is also monitoring nearby faults, such as the Makilala-Malungon Fault that runs from Cotabato to Davao Del Sur. —NB, GMA News