BAGUIO CITY – The Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC), NEDA-CAR Regional Director Milagros Rimando as committee chair, and DOH Regional Director Amelita Pangilinan agreed to conduct a third-party assessment of the structural retrofitting done on the main building of the Ifugao General Hospital in Lagawe during a problem–solving session of RPMC on June 18. The staff of DPWH-CAR and Structural Engineer Joselito Buhangin agreed to assist DOH-CAR in the assessment. The meeting was an offshoot of the April 2019 site inspections by the RPMC on the carbon fiber retrofitting the main hospital building in Lagawe, Ifugao.
RPMC member and RDC Private Sector Representative Julie Cabato urged that an additional third-party assessment must be made to ensure the hospital will be structurally safe for the use of the people of Ifugao.
Joselito Buhangin, structural engineer attended the meeting on June 18 to provide his insights on the Ifugao General Hospital project and said that while the presented building plan looked to be in order, he urged to see the original calculations made in 2009 and the subsequent calculations for retrofitting to determine where the lapses and deficiencies were made. He added that carbon fiber retrofitting is a good option because of it being lightweight and low-cost. However, he also added there are other options for retrofitting such as column retrofitting, or jacketing using steel angles, steel plates, or concrete.
Buhangin also said that in choosing a retrofitting method, certain criteria must be considered such as the current status of the existing structure, the existing performance of the structure, the performance required of the structure after retrofitting, the conditions for retrofitting construction works, and ease of maintenance and economy.
DPWH-CAR was asked by DOH-CAR to assess the main building together with Engineer Buhangin. The results of the assessment will be the basis of whether or not to proceed with Phase III of the Ifugao General Hospital project, amounting to 72 million pesos. Phase III consists of site preparation, masonry work, grouted riprap, tile works, railings, doors & windows, plumbing, and structural trusses.
The Ifugao General Hospital project is part of the DOH Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) that is aimed to replace the previous Ifugao General Hospital situated in Kiangan, Ifugao.
By Marlo Lubguban, NEDA-SPCAR