Earthquakes and infrastructure
Quick question for those living in BGC or Makati. Do you feel the buildings there are better built than the ones outside those areas?
I've lived here 3 years, and countless locals and realtors have told me it's all the same poor quality, just with a bow on top (nicer surroundings).
Still, I have to believe at least some buildings in those two areas have building dampers. I'm not an expert and don't claim to be, so let's not get all hostile in the comments, thanks
If only earthquakes were my only worry. I live within a stone's throw of Pinatubo.
As a developer myself, I can tell you that on paper, everything approved for construction in this country has been approved under the National Structural Code of the Philippines. It's meant to make sure buildings can withstand a magnitude 8.0 to 8.4 quake, depending on how close they are to a fault line. Unfortunately, what gets permitted and what gets built can sometimes be two different things. Design changes, inferior materials and inconsistent inspections all play into it. The Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge is a great example of how badly things can go wrong. We simply don't know what will happen when the big one comes. All we've seen is smaller quakes causing a disproportionate amount of damage. One thing's for sure: I wouldn't want to be in Metro Manila when it happens.
The Philippines has been plagued by earthquakes for decades. One of the strongest recent ones was the magnitude 6.9 quake that hit northern Cebu in September 2025. Interestingly, I didn't see any reports of modern high-rises completely collapsing in that one. The bigger danger seems to be older, poorly built or informal structures that may not have followed building codes or gotten the necessary permits.
Depends. If you're in a building like Hyatt, Shang, Suites, East Gallery, Rockwell, etc., I'd trust it 10x more than some random one built in 2003 that rents for $1,000
I'm from California, so it's never something I gave a second thought. My biggest problem was having to leave two apartments in Manila because the buildings got infested with cockroaches. A much more pressing problem for me than earthquakes. Still, a major fault runs through Manila, there are major faults on both sides of Luzon, and there are 2 active volcanoes on the island. So it will hit at some point.
The odds of me getting struck by lightning are low. But there's still a chance, so I'm never going outside again. If you and your family die in an earthquake in the Philippines, it must just be your time to go.
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