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ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Abstract

Hospitals are expected to maintain operations during and after earthquakes, yet many facilities in the Philippines remain structurally and non-structurally vulnerable. This study evaluates the seismic vulnerability of selected public hospitals in Maguindanao Province, located near the Cotabato Trench and the Western Mindanao Fault, using the FEMA P-154 (3rd ed.) Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) Level-1 procedure. Four government hospitals, comprising 53 buildings constructed between 1980 and 2025, were assessed through a systematic visual inspection and review of available secondary records. Basic structural hazard scores were adjusted using FEMA score modifiers (performance modification factors) to compute Final Level-1 scores (Sₗ₁) and corresponding damage-potential classifications. Most buildings are one-story reinforced-concrete moment-resisting frames (C1) with auxiliary steel/light-frame or steel-braced structures. Computed Sₗ₁ values range from –0.2 to 1.6, with newer structures (2015–2025) generally attaining Sₗ₁ ≥ 1.0, while pre-2000 buildings tend to score lower due to age-related deterioration, geometric irregularities, and weak attachments. Site conditions significantly influence screening outcomes; slope instability and drainage problems at South Upi and Maguindanao Provincial Hospitals are associated with the lowest Sₗ₁ values (down to –0.2). Nonstructural hazards, including parapets, heavy cladding, canopies, suspended ceilings, and unanchored equipment, are prevalent and frequently dictate functional risk even in recently constructed facilities. Mean Sₗ₁ values indicate varying preparedness levels across hospitals: Buluan (0.68), Maguindanao Provincial (0.64), Datu Blah T. Sinsuat (0.48), and South Upi (0.43). Approximately 75% of the buildings are recommended for Level-2 screening and/or detailed engineering evaluation, particularly those with Sₗ₁ < 0.6, adverse site conditions (e.g., landslide-prone slopes), or visible material deterioration and heavy appendages. The findings provide an evidence-based basis for BARMM health authorities to prioritize retrofitting, address geohazard and nonstructural risks, and strengthen hospital earthquake resilience.

Keywords

Rapid Visual Screening, FEMA P-154, hospital seismic vulnerability, nonstructural hazards, BARMM, Maguindanao, Philippines.

Publication Date

2026

Received Date

08/11/2025

Revised Date

10/01/2026

Accepted Date

06/02/2026

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