Angeles building collapse shows need for PH Building Act — solon

Police authorities cordon off the area surrounding a collapsed nine-story building in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, on Sunday, May 24, 2026. While rescue workers have successfully pulled more than 20 individuals from the rubble, search and rescue efforts remain underway in the critical hours following the disaster, with an estimated 30 to 40 people still believed to be trapped. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines — The collapse of a nine-story building under construction in Angeles, Pampanga underscores the urgency of passing a new Philippine Building Act (PBA), as the proposed measure could have prevented unnecessary deaths and property loss, Surigao del Sur Rep. Romeo Momo Sr. said on Monday.

In a statement, Momo said the country will “continue to be at the mercy of dilapidated, substandard, and unchecked buildings” if the 1977 National Building Code of the Philippines (NBCP) remains in effect, and the proposed PBA will pave the way for the revision of the NBCP.

“There is no room for dillydallying here. The passage of the bill must be treated as a matter of urgency. We should not wait for the next disaster, natural or man-made, to strike,” he added.