We’re Jejomar and Virgilio, licensed civil engineers. We inspect buildings and evaluate how they may perform in an earthquake, across Metro Manila & Greater Metro Manila, and explain what we find in plain language.
Or email info@silanganengineering.com. We reply on working days.
Who we help: Homeowners · Building owners · Condominium corporations · Property managers · Schools · Churches · Small businesses · Architects · Developers · Contractors · Fellow engineers
How your building may perform in an earthquake, from screening to full evaluation, with focused retrofit options.
Cracks, rust, sagging, or damage: we inspect, find the cause, and tell you what to do.
We assess your building and certify it if it’s structurally compliant.
Find out if your building can take the change before you build.
An independent check of your contractor’s work or another engineer’s design.
Concrete and steel buildings up to high-rise, with full plans, computations, and reports.
Available in-house across Metro Manila & Greater Metro Manila.
Precise drilling to extract core samples for strength testing, or to make clean openings.
Non-destructive radar scanning to locate rebar and check concrete cover.
A quick surface test to compare concrete quality and find weaker areas.
Best paired with cores. Readings alone don’t confirm strength.
Ultrasonic testing to help find hidden cracks, voids, and defects.
Not yet available in-house.
Earthquakes, typhoons, and decades of use all test a building. Before you strengthen, renovate, or add a floor, an assessment of what’s already there shows what is adequate, so retrofit work can focus where it’s actually needed.
We confirm the requirements that apply, inspect and test what exists, agree the performance target with you, and certify the building if it complies. If it doesn’t, we tell you what’s needed. Savings are never guaranteed, but you’ll know before you spend.
Common reasons owners call us:
Tap a number to see what each sign can mean. Many cracks are harmless. Some aren’t.
Looks urgent? If cracks are widening fast, something is sagging suddenly, or concrete is falling, keep people away and get help right away.
Ask us to take a lookPhotos and drawings help, but aren’t required.
Before any work begins.
On site, as agreed.
Findings and next steps, in plain words.
Not sure where to start? Tell us what you’ve noticed. We’ll point you to the right next step.
Start an inquiry
Co-founder
Associate Member, ASEP
University of Santo Tomas,
De La Salle University
Structural analysis, design, and detailing of concrete and steel buildings, with a focus on mid- and high-rise structures.
Co-founder
Associate Member, ASEP
University of Mindanao
Structural design and detailing of concrete and steel buildings, with a focus on assessment and retrofitting using ASCE 41.
Proud members of ASEP, the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines.
RCE: Registered Civil Engineer · MEng: Master of Engineering
Under ASCE 41-17, we start with a screening and only go deeper if the findings call for it.
Tier 1 · Screening
A checklist review of the whole building. Flags possible weak points from the building’s layout, system, and available records.
Tells youWhether a closer look is needed.
Tier 2 · Deficiency-based
Targeted checks on what was flagged. Focused analysis of the specific issues, within the method’s limits.
Tells youWhether those issues need action.
Tier 3 · Systematic
A detailed analysis of the whole structure, matched to the project’s needs.
Tells youA strong basis for retrofit decisions.
Chosen with you, based on the building’s use and risk category. A higher target means more strengthening work.
Collapse Prevention: may be badly damaged in a major earthquake, but should not collapse. Our usual starting point.
Life Safety: damaged, but with a margin against collapse. More protection, more work.
Immediate Occupancy: limited damage, usable soon after. Often for hospitals and essential facilities.
Read our plain-language guide to the three tiers, with examples →
The tier, standard edition, and analysis method are chosen to suit each building and its agreed performance objective. About ASCE 41
It depends on where the crack is, how wide it is, its direction, and whether it’s growing. Thin cracks in plaster are often cosmetic. Cracks in beams or columns, diagonal cracks near doors and windows, wide cracks, or cracks that keep growing are worth a check. If cracks widen quickly or concrete is falling, keep people away and get help right away. See the warning signs
Not every crack after an earthquake is serious, but damage isn’t always visible. If you see new cracks in columns or beams, concrete falling off, doors that suddenly stick, or floors that now slope, stay out of the affected area and have it inspected before using it normally.
Yes, if the work affects the structure: adding a floor or a roof deck, removing walls, cutting openings in slabs, or adding a water tank or heavy equipment. We check whether the existing building can take it, and design strengthening if it can’t.
It depends on the building’s size, the records available, access, and the testing and analysis needed. We agree on the fee and timeline after reviewing your project information, before any work begins.
Yes, after we assess it. If it meets the structural requirements that apply, we certify it. If it doesn’t, we explain what’s needed and can design the work.
An inspection looks at visible problems such as cracks, rust, and sagging, finds the likely cause, and tells you what to do. A seismic evaluation under ASCE 41 checks how the building may perform in a strong earthquake against an agreed performance target, and goes deeper only if needed. How the tiers differ
They help, but they aren’t required. Without them, we can measure the structure, scan for rebar, and take concrete cores to learn what was built.
Yes. A building can fail under its own weight if it carries more load than it was designed for, if construction doesn’t follow the design, or if the materials are substandard. In May 2026, a nine-storey building under construction in Angeles City collapsed with no earthquake involved; investigators cited overstressed columns and piles, and changes made without approved plans. What it teaches building owners
No building is. We agree on a performance target with you (see the target picker). For many ordinary buildings that’s Collapse Prevention; essential facilities or higher risk categories may require Life Safety or Immediate Occupancy.
Not always, and we won’t promise it. An assessment can show where work isn’t needed, or confirm that substantial strengthening is.
Yes. Our Projects page has case studies of common situations, and we’re adding real projects as our clients agree to share them.
Field work and testing cover Metro Manila and Greater Metro Manila. Arrangements are confirmed when the scope is discussed.
New-building design checks and existing-building evaluation answer related but different questions. ASCE 41 is specifically developed for the seismic evaluation and retrofit of existing buildings. It considers both strength and deformation capacity against defined performance objectives. We use ASCE 41-17 where appropriate, selecting linear or nonlinear procedures to suit the building and the evaluation requirements. The performance objective is agreed with the client, and buildings in higher risk categories, such as essential facilities, may require higher performance levels. Read the ASCE 41-17 overview
Applicable NSCP provisions, Philippine requirements, and authority approvals remain part of the project’s design basis. ASCE 41 is not an automatic exemption from them. For example, DPWH’s 2020 clarification for its “The Big One” Phase III projects required NSCP 2015 together with ASCE 41-13 Life Safety criteria. The applicable requirements must be established for each project. Read the DPWH project clarification (PDF)
Tell us what’s going on. Email us, or answer a few questions on our contact page and we’ll turn them into an email for you.
Email: info@silanganengineering.com
We reply on working days.
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