Philippines Seismic Risk Reduction and Resilience Project

active

The proposed project has four components, namely:Component 1. Improving Multi-hazard Resilience of Public Buildings and FacilitiesThis component will finance seismic retrofitting and relevant strengthening/upgrades of public buildings to reduce damage from natural hazards (earthquakes and other adverse geophysical and climate-related events). Specifically, it is proposed that this component will invest in maximizing the number of beneficiaries protected from natural hazards, by implementing appropriate, cost-effective structural retrofitting and functional improvements in selected school buildings and health centers. This is proposed to be achieved through two sub-components:1.1 Retrofitting of Public Buildings; and 1.2 Feasibility studies and detailed design.Sub-component 1.1: Retrofitting of Public BuildingsApproximately 425 priority buildings (based on the Seismic Vulnerability Rating (SVR) framework) are proposed for seismic retrofit and other structural/functional improvements under this project (at a cost of up to 60 percent of the in situ reconstruction cost). Eligible buildings have been sorted by SVR to comprise the provisional list of public buildings (schools and health centers) for detailed seismic evaluation, retrofit design, and eventual upgrading. The type of occupancy is factored into the SVR framework (i.e. schools and health centers are prioritized due to their social significance, the vulnerability of the typical building types and occupants, and importance to emergency preparedness (in the case of health centers). Climate change impacts and the effects of multiple site-specific hazards will be explicitly considered in the detailed design phase, using the DOST-PHIVOLCS GeoRiskPH platform (in accordance with Presidential Directive Memorandum to Cabinet issued on July 1, 2019) to assess exposure to seismic, climatic/hydro-meteorological, volcanic, and other prevalent hazards. Where appropriate, a multi-hazard intervention approach for the facility/campus (e.g. site drainage to reduce localized flooding) will be developed. In accordance with Philippine building regulations, structural and functional upgrades will ensure overall compliance with relevant design standards currently in force (including for climate-resilient design such as strengthening roofs and windows for typhoon-related wind loads, access for persons with disabilities, COVID-related functional measures, etc.). In compliance with all current national regulations, reference standards, and statutory codes, and as appropriate to improve the service continuity of the facilities, relevant safety improvements (e.g. WASH, fastening of non-structural elements like ceilings, partitions, and equipment that can constitute falling hazards, improvement of ingress and egress, and fire safety measures) may also be included in the upgrades. Structural upgrades will be in accordance with the most up-to-date seismic (and wind loading) provisions of the National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP, 2015). As performance-based design is not currently specified under the NSCP, compliance with the seismic provisions implicitly targets allowing building occupants to safely evacuate the building, thereby significantly reducing fatalities and severe casualties (but not guaranteeing that the building will be usable immediately after an event). In addition, compliance with the seismic provisions is expected to substantially reduce (but not entirely eliminate) the expected damage in the event of the design earthquake, which is within the range of Intensity VIII (associated with ‘The Big One’ scenario) on the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale. The major benefits of retrofitting therefore include (but are not limited to) reduction in building damage and potential casualties. An ancillary benefit of the scaled-up retrofitting activities under this sub-component is the provision of higher-skilled, labor-intensive jobs in the short- to medium-term, thereby building more broad-based capacity for retrofitting in the national construction industry. Sub-component 1.2: Feasibility studies, detailed design, and quality assuranceConsulting services for detailed building-level structural condition assessments, geotechnical and other site investigations, feasibility design studies, detailed engineering designs (incorporating multi-hazard resilience measures as appropriate to site-specific exposures), and design reviews will be financed under this sub-component. Construction quality assurance (including oversight of implementation of retrofit techniques and contractors’ environmental and social management plans) will also be financed. As a complement to the ‘hard’ risk reduction interventions, citizen engagement activities (including consultations and information sessions for disaster risk reduction) will be conducted at each facility to be intervened (financed under Component 3).Component 2: Improving Emergency Preparedness and Response in Public WorksThis component will finance mission-essential equipment for transport and mobility restoration, and communication. It will also finance capacity building activities for the Department of Public Works and Highways to systematically prepare for and respond to emergencies (recurrent annual events as well as low-frequency, high impact disasters), particularly in line with its mandate under the Oplan Metro Yakal Plus (as the lead agency for Engineering, Reconstruction, and Rehabilitation), as well as other national emergency response plans for multiple hazards (including those related to climate-related disasters and public health). To establish a functional emergency preparedness and response (EP&R) system in a coherent manner, this component will take a holistic approach to strengthening DPWH’s EP&R capacity by addressing gaps in the different components of the system, including equipment, communication and information management, and personnel. This is proposed to be achieved through two sub-components:2.1 Emergency Response Equipment for transport & mobility restoration, and communication; and 2.2 Capacity building for emergency preparedness and response in public works.Activities financed under this component are directly relevant for hydrometeorological/climate-related emergencies, in addition to major seismic events. For example, the investments in equipment under sub-component 2.1 will contribute to DPWH’s capacity to respond to, and support the recovery from, events such as typhoons, floods, etc. The equipment for transport and mobility restoration as well as communication will enable DPWH to clear roads, restore thoroughfares, and remove debris (key emergency response activities following typhoons, floods, or precipitation-induced landslides), and to command and control its operational teams on the ground. The core capacity-building activities under sub-component 2.2 (e.g., developing plans, training exercises and drills) can also be applied to climate-related disasters through a multi-hazard approach that incorporates climate change-induced aspects in integrated emergency response and incident management structures, both strategically and operationally. Finally, the national multi-hazard emergency response plans that are used as the overarching framework for the investments under this component outline the same integrated systems that would be used for seismic events as well as for climate-related events. Sub-component 2.1: Emergency Response Equipment for Transport & Mobility Restoration, and CommunicationThis sub-component will support mission-essential equipment for transport & mobility restoration (which would be staged strategically in and around Metro Manila, in relatively less hazardous locations), as well as critical communication and information management systems, to ensure proper execution of response operations and coordination of DPWH’s emergency response teams. Operation and maintenance costs for the equipment will