The disasters that struck late Friday left the city’s port in ruins, its lone gantry crane atilt in the water. Poverty has fallen from nearly a third of its 380,000 residents to under one in 10, local officials say. Given how seismically active the area is — the Palu-Koro fault runs right through the city — it’s been a race against the odds. The rush to rebuild after a disaster involves cutting corners, rather than fortifying buildings to prevent future calamities. “Now, they say, build back better, build back better, but they do the same thing again,” Boen said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer October 02, 2018 09:22 UTC