Is the collapsed building at Barangay Balibago in Angeles City, Pampanga an accident waiting to happen? Let’s enumerate the possibilities, starting with information regarding the building.
According to the Angeles City Government, the Golden Years Construction and Steelworks acquired a building permit from the city on June 1, 2023, for the construction of a nine-storey building, which includes two roof decks and a pool.
The proprietor of the building is a certain Ernest Jackson Lim, with construction of the building starting around 2024.
In 2025, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 3 Director Geraldine Panlilio ordered Golden Years Construction and Steelworks to stop the construction of the building.
Panlilio said that the stoppage was related to the implementation of Occupational Safety Standards for the workers, but upon compliance, the order was lifted around October of the same year.
Fast forward to 24 May 2026, the building collapsed, burying several workers and individuals who were at the area during the incident.
Netizens who are part of the construction industry noted several red flags in the collapsed building based on primary field data and visual history.
Mopada Construction stated that there is critical underdimensioning of columns (overloading), with pillars that can only support a three- to four-storey building. The company stated that forcing it to nine storeys is dangerous, let alone adding a roof deck and swimming pool.
The company stated that one cubic meter of water is equivalent to 1,000 kilograms of additional dead/live load of the structure.
The company added that there is slenderness ratio failure and buckling, noting that due to thin and high posts, the critical load can easily be reached. Instead of crushing failure, the structure will experience buckling faiure.
“Isang structural member lang ang mag-buckle sa ground floor, magdudulot ito ng instant progressive collapse (domino effect) ng buong gusali.”
Another factor is soil saturation as an environmental trigger. According to Mopada Construction, heavy downpour and thunderstorms before the collapse can trigger soil saturation. The company added that if the bored piles are not deep enough, the soil will soften and settle unevenly (differential settlement).
“Ang kaunting pagkiling sa ilalim ay nagpasa ng matinding eccentric/twisting force sa mga kulang sa sukat na column sa itaas.”
The company’s takeaway is that incidents are combinations of substandard design and environmental triggers. If the structural computation is correct, the building has enough Factor of Safety and Redundancy to avoid collapsing without any warning.
“Ang tinitipid mo sa structural analysis, sa tamang laki ng column, at sa tamang vertical reinforcements ngayon—buhay at ari-arian ang sisingilin sa iyo mamaya. Walang trial and error sa structural design. Our prayers are with the victims and the rescue teams in Pampanga,” the company said.
