President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administers the oath to 21 newly promoted Philippine Coast Guard flag officers, including one vice admiral, two rear admirals and 18 commodores, as he calls on them to lead with integrity and uphold their responsibility to the Filipino people.
Construction firms and suppliers that fail safety standards face tighter government scrutiny as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. moves to strengthen buildings and infrastructure against earthquakes, floods and other disasters.
Marcos directed the Department of Public Works and Highways and local governments to step up enforcement, with Malacañang stressing that businesses failing mandatory safety and quality requirements should not be allowed to operate.
The tougher approach places particular attention on materials that determine structural strength, including reinforcing steel and cement, as the administration seeks to prevent unsafe products from entering construction projects.
One proposed safeguard is a Building Resilience Seal that would identify homes and other structures inspected and found compliant with earthquake-resilience requirements.
The Private Sector Advisory Council has also pushed for implementation of PNS 49:2026, the updated Philippine standard governing reinforcing steel bars used in concrete construction, along with tighter inspection of imported cement.
Concerns over construction materials intensified following government action involving Davao Mighty Steel Corp., whose case was referred by the National Bureau of Investigation to the Department of Justice over alleged violations involving steel products and radioactive-bearing materials.
Authorities previously reported that some steel samples associated with the investigation failed applicable mass-variation requirements, while the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute said the company lacked authorization to possess or handle the radioactive materials discovered at its facility.
Marcos’ directive forms part of a wider effort to shift infrastructure policy toward disaster resilience, with the government also examining measures involving flood protection, water security and stronger structural safeguards before disasters strike.
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