The Office of Planning for the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador (Opamss) has strengthened its role as a key partner for both public and private construction sectors. Recently, the institution developed seismic evaluation and reinforcement mechanisms in collaboration with Japanese experts and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The initiative, known as the Project for Capacity Building for Seismic Evaluation and Reinforcement of Buildings in the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador (HOKYO)—named after the Japanese word for reinforcement—positions El Salvador as a regional model in seismic evaluations.

HOKYO aims to reduce the seismic vulnerability of buildings by providing technical tools for structural evaluation and reinforcement design. It establishes mechanisms for seismic evaluation, reinforcement design, and the supervision of implementation, particularly for public buildings in the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador.

“HOKYO is an important project due to our recent history of earthquakes. Now it is our responsibility to protect lives. We already have a guide and an implementation manual. Japan has been a valuable ally for our country and for our institution,” said Luis Rodríguez, Executive Director of Opamss.

As part of the project, a technical working group was formed with local and central government institutions, professional associations, and academia, fostering seismic evaluation and reinforcement while creating an action plan involving key sectors in risk management.

El Salvador’s progress has drawn international attention, with a recent official visit from the National Office for Seismic Evaluation and Infrastructure Vulnerability (ONESVIE), the Ministry of Housing and Buildings, and the Ministry of Education from the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican delegation visited buildings under evaluation for seismic reinforcement using the HOKYO method. “El Salvador has an advantage over the Dominican Republic, as it has become a model country. They have progressed steadily after experiencing several earthquakes. In our case, it has been 78 years since the last major earthquake. El Salvador is respecting life, and that is an example for us. We are here to learn from this success story,” said Leonardo Reyes of ONESVIE.

With the HOKYO project, El Salvador is not only enhancing its own resilience but also paving the way for other countries in the region to follow its example in seismic risk management.