THE Commission on Audit has warned that the much-delayed rehabilitation work on an old structure inside Malacañang grounds could result in major damage and threatens the safety of people working under the Office of the President.
State auditors identified the building as the Mabini Hall, which was already flagged by engineers for a major rework 10 years earlier.
“Further delays in the action to undertake major retrofitting suggested by experts way back 2013 or reconstruction of aging Mabini Hall… poses a risk of major damage or even loss of lives in the event of 7.2 magnitude earthquake also known as the “Big One,” the audit team said.
Mabini Hall is the nerve center of the OP, serving as its administrative building that houses the majority of its manpower.
As recent as May 8, 2018, Executive Order No. 52 which created the Program Management Office for Earthquake Resiliency of the Greater Manila Area (PMO-ERG) acknowledged that the West and East Valley Faults pose a “threat of a potentially catastrophic earthquake in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
“The issuance of EO No. 52 and the creation of the PMO-ERG is a remarkable step to jumpstart an approach to managing risks associated with disasters. However, this needs to be given more emphasis by the OP in terms of ensuring the safety and integrity of its own buildings,” the COA said.
It revealed that based on information from the Malacañang Engineering Office (MEO), there is no periodic assessment of all OP buildings previously but the practice was started in the first quarter of 2023 to be done every three months.
“Prevention and risk mitigation may help in minimizing the damage that could happen.
Therefore, urgent action and effort are needed,” auditors said.
The OP said the MEO is now preparing a concept plan for the Mabini Hall and is working with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on the appropriate construction technology.
Once rehabilitation work starts, affected employees will be transferred to another office space to preserve continuity and prevent disruption of operations.
The OP said it has included a request to the Department of Budget and Management for a budget allocation in its 2024 purse to pay for the design, plan, and estimates of the old building.
