The Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) has urged the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to immediately impose Philippine National Standard 49:2026, or the updated Philippine National Standard for Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement, amid the massive collapses of buildings in Pampanga and the recent 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao, taking innocent lives.

“The standard marks a critical departure from its predecessor: it removes steel grades that do not meet seismic performance requirements — grades that remain in widespread use in Philippine construction today,” said PISI president Joel Ronquillo, in a statement on Friday.

The business group said the urgency of its call is underscored by two devastating events within the span of three weeks.

To recall, a nine-story mixed-use building under construction in Barangay Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, collapsed on 24 June, claiming at least 17 lives.

On the other hand, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Sarangani, Mindanao, with General Santos City — a commercial hub of 722,000 people — absorbing Intensity VII shaking.

Buildings collapsed, a tsunami alert was issued, and casualties have been reported.

“PNS 49:2026, developed by the Bureau of Philippine Standards’ Technical Committee 11, aligns Philippine rebar specifications with the National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP) and international seismic design requirements. Critically, it eliminates low-yield, non-seismic grades that are inadequate for structures in earthquake-prone zones,” the group said.

PISI said the Philippines sits squarely on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and the continued permissibility of these grades in structural applications under the old standard has been a long-standing gap in our seismic resilience framework.

“PNS 49:2026 closes that gap. Every earthquake is a structural audit. The Philippines cannot afford to keep failing it.

“Non-seismic grades are the wrong material for a building in a seismic zone. The old standard permitted their use. PNS 49:2026 does not. Every day we delay implementation is another day Filipino lives are at risk from buildings that were built legally but not built to withstand what this country’s geology demands,” he stressed.

In a formal letter to DTI Secretary Maria Cristina Roque dated 8 June, PISI urged the DTI to: mandate the immediate implementation of PNS 49:2026 across all relevant national agencies and local government units;  intensify enforcement and monitoring to ensure compliance with the new grade requirements across manufacturers, distributors, and contractors; and partner with industry stakeholders to facilitate a smooth transition and raise awareness among builders, engineers, and LGUs on the significance of the grade change.

PISI has formally offered its technical assistance to support the effective rollout of PNS 49:2026 across the construction sector.