Seismic Vulnerability Assessment with Rapid Visual Screening of Hospital Buildings in Maguindanao Province, Philippines

Hospitals are expected to maintain operations during and after earthquakes, yet many facilities in the Philippines remain structurally and non-structurally vulnerable. This study evaluates the seismic vulnerability of selected public hospitals in Maguindanao Province, located near the Cotabato Trench and the Western Mindanao Fault, using the FEMA P-154 (3rd ed.) Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) Level-1 procedure. Four government hospitals, comprising 53 buildings constructed between 1980 and 2025, were assessed through a systematic visual inspection and review of available secondary records. Basic structural hazard scores were adjusted using FEMA score modifiers (performance modification factors) to compute Final Level-1 scores (Sₗ₁) and corresponding damage-potential classifications. Most buildings are one-story reinforced-concrete moment-resisting frames (C1) with auxiliary steel/light-frame or steel-braced structures. Computed Sₗ₁ values range from –0.2 to 1.6, with newer structures (2015–2025) generally attaining Sₗ₁ ≥ 1.0, while pre-2000 buildings tend to score lower due to age-related deterioration, geometric irregularities, and weak attachments. Site conditions significantly influence screening outcomes; slope instability and drainage problems at South Upi and Maguindanao Provincial Hospitals are associated with the lowest Sₗ₁ values (down to –0.2). Nonstructural hazards, including parapets, heavy cladding, canopies, suspended ceilings, and unanchored equipment, are prevalent and frequently dictate functional risk even in recently constructed facilities. Mean Sₗ₁ values indicate varying preparedness levels across hospitals: Buluan (0.68), Maguindanao Provincial (0.64), Datu Blah T. Sinsuat (0.48), and South Upi (0.43). Approximately 75% of the buildings are recommended for Level-2 screening and/or detailed engineering evaluation, particularly those with Sₗ₁ < 0.6, adverse site conditions (e.g., landslide-prone slopes), or visible material deterioration and heavy appendages. The findings provide an evidence-based basis for BARMM health authorities to prioritize retrofitting, address geohazard and nonstructural risks, and strengthen hospital earthquake resilience.