SANTO DOMINGO.–Leonardo Reyes Madera, general director of the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie), highlighted the importance of raising collective awareness about structural resilience in critical buildings, especially in educational centers that house thousands of students daily.
"What we are trying to do is make society understand the need for resilient infrastructure," said the official during a supervisory visit to the structural reinforcement work at the Pontón Basic School, located in the La Sabana section, municipality of La Vega.
During the inspection, Reyes Madera was accompanied by a technical team from the Northern delegation and representatives of the contracting company to verify the progress of this intervention, which is fundamental to guaranteeing safe and resilient school environments in the face of seismic events.
The official emphasized the importance of the work, noting that each reinforced school represents a guarantee of safe spaces for children and teachers. "Motivating contractors is essential, so they don't see this action as merely economic, but as a contribution to the country, because every school we can reinforce will mean saving lives in the event of a major earthquake ," he stated
Reyes Madera expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Education (MINERD) for taking the first step in strengthening the most vulnerable educational institutions and for prioritizing school safety by integrating earthquake preparedness into its planning. He also reiterated the importance of inter-institutional coordination as a fundamental pillar for advancing risk reduction and ensuring a safer future for Dominican children.
The engineers in charge of the supervision, after a thorough inspection, confirmed that the work is being carried out in accordance with building codes and is aimed at improving the building's structural integrity. The process includes vulnerability assessments, the design of technical solutions, and the application of high-quality materials.
The National Office for Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (Onesvie) was created by Decree 715-01 in 2001, with the purpose of reducing seismic vulnerability in buildings, infrastructure and lifelines and proposing corrective solutions.
