BFP advises mall: Don’t reopen yet
As soon at the Metro Retail Stores Group, Inc. (MRSGI) can submit the needed documents to the Cebu City Office of the Building Official (OBO), they can immediately start with the demolition of fire-torn Metro Ayala Department Store.
This was what City Engr. Josefa Ylanan told SunStar Cebu in an interview yesterday.
“Mas maayo man gud nga maguba na nila para mawala ang danger sa naguba nga parte (It would be advisable to demolish the building to get rid of the danger the burned part poses on adjacent structures),” she said.
Ylanan said her office has sent communication to MRSGI, the operator of Metro Ayala, asking them to submit the inspection report from their structural en- gineers.
Since the operator may build a new structure on the same location, they will only have to submit copies of their building tax clearances to OBO before they can formally tear down the dilapidated mall.
“That will be our only basis since fire-torn buildings are always given exemptions on their building permits. That is only applicable, of course, to structures that are built on the same site. Since we have no other documents to check as it’s just a matter of updating, we can issue a demolition clearance within the day of submission of the tax documents,” Ylanan said.
As for the operations of Ayala Center Cebu, the city engineer said they have yet to issue a clearance for the mall to resume operations since Cebu Holdings Inc. (CHI) is still conducting its systems checkup. CHI operates Ayala Center Cebu.
Meanwhile, at the City Council, legislators are inviting OBO, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and representatives of MRSGI and CHI to an executive session on Jan. 16 to discuss the hazards and circumstances that may arise when a fire incident occurs in a mall.
The council has also requested the BFP to submit a list of their equipment so that City Hall can check which firefighting gears to give it.
The measures were made by Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. in a privilege speech and was approved by the council during yesterday’s regular session.