Manila, March 31 -- Senate President Francis Escudero on Monday called for more inspections of public and private structure nationwide to check the buildings' integrity, citing the need for this given that the country lies along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire.

In a statement, he cited the destruction caused by the March 28 magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar, which also affected Thailand -- countries with infrastructure comparable to the Philippines.

"We must see to it that regular inspections are conducted on public infrastructure and on the structures constructed by the private sector, particularly the office and residential buildings that have sprouted over the past decades," Escudero said.

The call comes as the Senate...