Lecture on Infrastructure Resilience and Making Cities Resilience for the MCDRM Scholars

 The Philippine Public Safety College offers a Master in Crisis and Disaster Risk Management (MCDRM) to scholars from government (DILG, AFP, DepEd, PSG, DOT, etc). It was an honor to be invited as a lecturer in one of the virtual sessions. My topic was "Building Infrastructure Resilience and Making Cities Resilient to Disasters: Assessment and Challenges to LGUs." Presented in my lecture are the 4R's of Infrastructure Resilience and the Ten Essentials for Making Cities Resilient (MCR) of the UNDRR. There was wa workshop held wherein the participants assessed a city using the preliminary score card for the MCR. The lecture was held for two batches: 14 Sept 2021 for the Public Safety Advance Course-MCDRM where most of the participants come from PNP, AFP and 29 Oct 2021 for the PPSC-MCDRM Batch 4. 

14 Sept 2021 

29 Oct 2021

The Making Cities Resilient has undergone two phases - the Hyogo Framework and the Sendai Framework. UNDRR is now calling for LGU participants to its third phase MCR2030. "MCR2030 aims to ensure cities become inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable by 2030, contributing directly to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG11) - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable”, and other global frameworks including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Agreement and the New Urban Agenda."

MEMORIES OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES AT NAGOYA UNIVERSITY, JAPAN

From 1988 - 1994, I pursued post-graduate studies in civil engineering: (a) Six-months intensive Japanese language course from Oct 1988 to Mar 1989, (b) Master of Engineering from April 1989 to Mar 1991 and (c) Doctor of Engineering from April 1991 to Mar 1994. 

Reviewing the photos with my Filipino, foreign and Japanese students and friends brings back good memories and relieves one of the stress of the present times. How I wish we can go back in time to enjoy the fun and good times. Thank you friends for the memories. You have been part of my life and shaped me to what I am today.

MADE IN JAPAN - 1: My first days at Nagoya with my Pinoy batchmates - Daisy Montesa and Dr. Mel Chan. Our sempai was Joe Pardales (+). Also shown here are photos of the Japanese Language class. 

MADE IN JAPAN - 2: The highlight of this video is our Golden Week trip outside Nagoya with Filipino student friends and one German friend, Alex who served as our tourist guide and driver. Places visited include Fukui, Kanazawa, Toyama and Tateyama. 

MADE IN JAPAN - 3: This video presents our experience with the seasons of Japan, in particular spring, summer and autumn. 

A BRIEF CODE-BASED SEISMIC DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR EXISTING RC BUILDINGS - Philippines

 A brief seismic diagnostic tool (BSDT) that is localized and based on the National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP) is developed as a tool for rapid visual screening of existing reinforced concrete buildings in the Philippines. A BSDT that uses seismic code parameters from the NSCP would be easier to use for local evaluators since local civil engineers are familiar with the NSCP parameters.  Vertical irregularities are also known to contribute to the vulnerability of buildings when subjected to ground motion. This study will also present push-over analysis simulations of buildings with vertical irregularities specifically (1) Vertical Geometric Irregularity, (2) Soft Story, and (3) Mass Irregularity. Vertical irregularity parameters are introduced in the simulations and these parameters are introduced to determine score modifiers for the assessment of vulnerability of buildings with vertical irregularities. The result of the study is a more refined qualitative/semi-quantitative brief seismic diagnosis tool for existing reinforced concrete buildings for the Philippines.

For more details: Oreta, A. and Dy, Adrian. "Development of a Brief Code-Based Seismic Diagnostic Tool for Existing RC Buildings Considering Vertical Irregularities,” International Conference in Commemoration of 20th Anniversary of the 1999 Chi-Chi Earthquake at Taipei, Taiwan held on September 15-19, 2019.

Read the paper at SCRIBD. 

Brief Code-Based Seismic Di... by Andy Oreta