Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

» 4605

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representatives
DIOSDADO MACAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

———_——S.s

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY ANNUAL INSPECTION OF ALL PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE SCHOOL BUILDINGS BY THE CITY OR MUNICIPAL ENGINEER
OR BUILDING OFFICIAL AND FOR OTHER RELATED PURPOSES.

IATE OTE

The collapse of the three-storey Evangelical Promise school building in
Petion Ville, @ suburb located in the Hatian capital of Port-au-Prince. last
November 7, 2008 left at least 50 dead and hundreds injured with many still
trapped in the rubbles for days.

The tragedy is reminiscent of the collapse of the Central Colleges of the
Philippines school bulfding in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ejica during the July 1990
earthquake as well as the more recent collapse of numerous school buildings in
the wake of 7.9-magnitude earthquake in China's southwestem province of
Sichuan last May 12, 2008.

As a preemptive and preventive measure and to minimize, if not totally
avoid the occurrence of similar tragedies in the Philippines in the future, the
Proponents believe that it would be prudent to institute the annual mandatory
inspection of all school buildings in the country. This could be done
economically, using existing local government resources and/or personnel, and
would go a long way in ensuring the suitability, safety and structural of the
buiktings being used by schoo! children and young students all over the country.


It is in this light that early passage of this legislative measure is
respectfully enjoined.

DIOSDADO MAGAPAGAL ARROYO GLORIKMACAPAGAL ARROYO
Second District, Camarines Sur Second District, Pampanga


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. 4605

Introduced by Representatives
DIOSDADO MAGAPAGAL ARROYO and GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO

_.

AN ACT
PROVIDING FOR MANDATORY ANNUAL INSPECTION OF ALL PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE SCHOOL BUILDINGS BY THE CITY OR MUNICIPAL ENGINEER
OR BUILDING OFFICIAL AND FOR OTHER RELATED PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. - This Act shall be known as the “School Building
Safety Act of 2011”.

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. - It is hereby declared that it is the
Policy of the State to ensure the safety, security, suitability and structural integrity
of each and every school building in the country at the beginning of each school
year to ensure that the same are safe, secure, appropriate and suitably for use
by the school children and students intended to use the same.

SECTION 3. Mandatory Annual inspection. — tt shall be the principal duty
of the City Engineer or the Municipal Engineer and/or the Building Official of each
and every City or Municipality in the country to conduct an annual inspection of
all school buildings, whether private or public, within their territorial jurisdiction at
least forty-five (45) days prior to the start of each and every school year. The
Purpose of such inspection shall be to ensure the safety, security, suitability and
structural integrity all school buildings for use by school children and/or students
for the purpose or purposes for which the same are intended.


SECTION 4. Report. - Within three (3) days after the inspection, the City
or Municipal Engineer or Building Official shall render a comprehensive report
disclosing his findings and recommendations for each and every school building
inspected which should cover the following matters, to wit:

(a) The structural integrity of the building and its fitness to be used for the
Purpose/s it is intended, including its capacity to accommodate the
number of students or persons intended to use the same, including the
capacity of the building to withstand earthquakes and typhoons and similar
natural occurrences; and

() The level of suitability and/or safety of the building for use by school
children and/or students taking into account the availability of sufficient
comfort rooms, proper ventilation and lighting, garbage disposal facilities,
fire safety equipment, etc.;

(c) The repairs, improvements, renovations and/or changes recommended
by the City or Municipal Engineer or Building Official to address noted
defects and/or deficiencies to ensure the safety, ‘suitability and/or
structural integrity of the building for use of school children and/or
students;

The report shall also make a determination of whether or not the building
is suitable for use by school children or students for the Purpose it is intended
during the upcoming school year.

The report shall be addressed to the City or Municipal Mayor, copy
fumished the local Superintendent of Schools, the Principal of the school
concemed, the local Department of Education (DepEd) or Commission on Higher
Education (CHED) offices as well as the Sangguniang Panlungsod or
Sangguniang Bayan and Sangguniang Panialawigan.

SECTION 5. Defects And Deficiencies. — In case defects and/or
deficiencies are noted or reported by the City or Municipal Engineer or the
Building Official, it shall be the duty of the Principal of the school as well as the
local DepEd and/or CHED officials concemed to take the appropriate action to
ensure that the defects and/or deficiencies noted and/or reported are property
addressed, corrected, repaired and/or rectified at the soonest time possible and
before the beginning of the school year. On the other hand, it shalt be the duty of
the City or Municipal Mayor to oversee that the said defects and/or deficiencies
are corrected, repaired and/or rectified before the beginning of the school year.

SECTION 6. Unsuitable, Unfit Or Unsafe Buildings. — In case the City or
Municipal Engineer or the Building Officials has made a determination that a
school building is unsuitable, unfit or unsafe for use by school children or
students, the same shall not be used until after the necessary repair work has


been undertaken and completed and until the same has received the approval of
the City or Municipal Engineer after re-inspection. In such a case, it shall be the
duty of the Principal concemed, together with the City or Municipal Mayor, the
local DepEd and/or CHED officials and/or the owners of the school in case of
Private schools to look for another suitable for the temporary use of the affected
school chiktren and/or students.

SECTION 7. Highest Priority. - Considering the public interest involved,
the annual inspection of all school buildings located within their territorial
jurisdiction shall be the highest priority of City or Municipal Engineers and/or
Building Officials except in case of calamities and/or local or national
emergencies and disasters. Failure of a City or Municipal Engineer or Building
Official to undertake the annuat inspection mandated by this Act shatl constitute
dereliction of duty and may be a basis for removal from office of the City or
Municipal Engineer or Building Official concemed.

The DepEd, CHED and concerned local government unit/s and/or private
institutions and individuals concemed are required to give the highest budgetary
Priority to the repairs and/or sectification of defects and deficiencies noted and
reported in the Report issued pursuant to Section 4 hereof.

SECTION 8. Penal Provisions. - Any person who refuses to act on the
feport and/or recommendations of the City or Municipal Engineer or Building
Official rendered pursuant to Section 4 of this Act shail suffer a penalty of Six (6)
months to Two (2) Years of imprisonment and/or a fine from Ten Thousand
Pesos (P10,000.00) to One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00) or both, at
the discretion of the Court plus perpetual disqualification from holding public
office.

SECTION 9. Separability Clause. — If any provision of this Act or the
applicability of such provision to any person of circumstance shall be held invalid,
the validity of the other provisions of this Act and the applicability of such
Provisions to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

SECTION 10. Repeating Clause. ~ All taws, executive issuances, orders
and fules and regulations contrary to or inconsistent with this Act, or any part
thereof, are hereby repealed, amended and/or modified accordingly

SECTION 11. Effectivity Clause. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days
after its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2)
newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,