Old buildings

I have a fascination for everything old, I'm curious as to how things were before all the modern objects we enjoy today. I like looking at old pictures of places especially in Metro Cebu. It makes me wonder how life was before we all came into the picture.

I found out that General Maxilom Avenue in Cebu City used to be lined up with mango trees, thus its moniker Mango Avenue. Also, most of the city’s barangays were named after the trees found in their area like Mabolo and Kasambagan. It's amazing how simple names were made and how they very easy to recall.

Yesterday, one of the iconic buildings at corner Gorordo Avenue and Escario street gave in. It was more than 20 years old, I guess, a tad far older than me. Its back portion collapsed, damaging a bank, a call center and a dialysis center.

Who would have thought that for almost three decades, a sturdy building such as this would lose its foundations? I was also taken aback. When I looked at the foundations of the building, it wasn't as strong as I thought it was. The soil below may have been hampered by the many developments in the city.

How safe are we? As I write this, I am sitting on a chair in a building that used to be a hospital. It's been decades since the ABS-CBN station was built in Jagobiao, Mandaue City. We never know what could happen here. My point is, nobody can tell when the ground will move but some measures can be done to prevent it.

That is why the local government units always have departments dedicated to check on the buildings and constructions. Nobody is allowed to erect a structure without the proper permits. Everybody needs to be checked by somebody just to make sure everybody is safe. The only question is: Is this principle effective?

The conscience clears the mind from any action that may lead to guilt. By now, I hope those government officials who have been persuaded by money to release a permit and other documents have a clear conscience. We make the perfect structure on how to run a government to make sure we are all safe, but we do not follow it ourselves. The incident along Gorordo will be investigated. Who was at fault will for sure be responsible but I hope we do learn from this and that this will not happen again.

I love old buildings, and I do not hope to see another one collapse again. It is time to steer away from accidents and damage. Although it is nice to embrace modern design and architecture, old structures remind us of our past. We can always reinforce it instead of tearing it down. There is always a way to get around. The lesson here is that, we can be safe rather than sorry without sacrificing the culture that the next generation should learn about.