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By RYAI{ POI{GE various constructiotr end- AGI{AM called for the

users. establishmeDt of a cyclic


PAGPAGO "We are concerned loading facility in the
A FORMER congress. that steel beins used to Philippines to ensure the
man has urged the De- build thousandi of hish appropriate implementa-
partments of Trade rise 6tructures in tf,e tion of stringent testing
and I$dustry (DTI) country, are compro- standards for steel in the
and tb.e Interior and mised. outtins the lives Philippines, a known
Local' Governneni of thous-ands 6f Fiiipinos high seismic risk coun-
(DILG) to ensure that at risk," said the lawmak- ty.
buildi g's structural to Metals
According
integrity, particularly "These substandard Industrv Research and
the high-rise ones are construction materials-
not Drone to ouick particularly reinforce- Develodment
(MIRDC) - Department
Center
collafse in case d high ment bars (rebars). of Science arld Techlrolo-
idteBsity earthquake would not withstand a gy (DoST), deputy execu-
or -the "The Big One" magnitude 7.2 eartlj.- tive director Asustin Fu-.
quake.' '
dolig, it wouJd 6e hard for
Ex-Aliansa nq mea Palmones decried the them to iustifv the cost of
Grupong Haliei ne alleged connivance be- building a P50 million
Agha at Teknolohiya tween government
para sa Mamamavan cials, particul arlv thoseoffi-
in
cyclic loading facility.
"There will be no clear
aAGHAM) party-list fi€p. the Department {f Tredc return on investments
Angelo Palmones, a vel- atrd Industry (DTI) and (ROI;. since onlv larse
eran broadcaster, aired the Bureau of Product steel inakers wili be tlie
his warning on the.heels Standard (BPS) to create mair clients of the facil,
of another strong trem- a gmokescreen in cover- iW," Fudolig said during
or, a magnjtude 5.6 ing the real danqers re- a recent TV interview
earthquake,'that rocked bars made out -of QT In China aad Taiwan.
Cotabato Tuesday night. ptoceas. the use of QT bars have
More tban 100 after- Palmones exolained been banned since la6t
shocks followed the next steel manufactuiers sh- year. In the PhiliDpines.
few days in Bukidnon and ould not be makins and Palrnones said the hilesed
Cagayan de Oro Citv. decidirg what regulitions P400-biUion vearlv ;n-
including io Toril Davio to develop and what stan- come from th6 mariufac-
measur-ing intenEity 2. dards and tests must be ture ofquench-tempered
Palmones said big conducted. rebars has ostensiblv
steel manufacturers hav; "We at AGTIAM become an attractive in--
been replacing micro-al- strongly feel that ap- c€ntiye for big steel man,
loyed (MA) steel rebars pointing officials with ufacturers.
with quenched temDered vest€d interests can com- "It is a lot cheap€r to
(QT) steel oDes. to 'build prise the safetv stan- manufacture quench-
hundreds of high rise derds in t}le coun-try. and tempered rebars than
structures throushout put the lives of those liv- mioo-alloyed steel ones,
the countrv-wiIhoIt ing in high rises, and all but it comes at the pv-
the knowledge of con- infrastiucture projects in p€nse of people's lives,"
tractors. developers aad mortal danger. Palmones pointed out.

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