LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the CALABARZON region is strengthening infrastructure resilience to safeguard economic activity and investments by enhancing the capacity of its Emergency Response Teams to conduct structural safety assessments.
On February 26, DOST-CALABARZON convened personnel from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon for an Infrastructure Audit Tool Re-Echoing Training held in Los Baños, Laguna.
The training forms part of a broader effort to standardize infrastructure risk assessment across the region, one of the country’s most important economic corridors, hosting major industrial zones, logistics hubs, and manufacturing clusters.
The program re-echoed methodologies developed under the CALABARZON Local Infrastructure Learning Hub (LILHub), implemented in partnership with the Department of the Interior and Local Government Region IV-A. The initiative aims to strengthen the ability of local agencies to evaluate infrastructure vulnerabilities both before and after disasters.
Central to the training is the Infrastructure Audit Tool (IA Tool), a standardized system used to identify structural weaknesses and rapidly assess building damage following earthquakes and other disasters.
Officials said consistent infrastructure assessments help improve coordination among provinces and provide more reliable data for emergency response, reconstruction planning, and infrastructure investments.
Participants reviewed structural materials, building defects, and stress behavior before conducting simulation exercises designed to replicate post-earthquake assessments. Teams from the Technical Operations Division, Finance and Administrative Services Division, and Provincial Science and Technology Offices took part in the exercises.
Michael Florendo of the Provincial Science and Technology Office in Quezon Province, Philippines said the training will strengthen the ability of field personnel to support local government units and micro, small, and medium enterprises in improving infrastructure safety.
By reinforcing science-based infrastructure auditing, DOST-CALABARZON aims to reduce disaster risks that could disrupt supply chains, manufacturing operations, and regional economic growth.
