AYALA MALL REOPENS
No damage there, Cebu City official confirms, and mall operator “has always complied with Building Code” Clean-up crew sent in a few days after Metro store fire manages to get the job done in time for Sinulog weekend crowds
The Ayala Center Cebu is reopening today, Jan. 18, nearly two weeks since it was temporarily closed following the Metro Ayala blaze.
However, some stores and stalls located in the section of the mall that was close to the Metro Department Store and Supermarket, will remain closed meantime.
Cebu Holdings Inc. (CHI) corporate communications manager Jeanette Japzon said these stores will not be allowed to resume operations until the section of Ayala Center Cebu close to fire-torn Metro is boarded up.
Boarding up includes the installation of boards on windows and doors of a property to protect it from damage, or to prevent unauthorized access. Plywood sheets are usually used for this, but plastic sheeting is also an alternative.
CHI, which operates Ayala Center Cebu, will board up the mall’s main ground floor and second floor.
The mall’s lower ground floor, though, will not be boarded up since the Metro Retail Stores Group, Inc. (MRSGI) will just use its metal rolling service doors.
Ayala Center Cebu has been closed since Jan. 6, a day before a fire gutted the adjacent building owned and operated by MRSGI.
Fire broke out in the eight-level Metro, one of the two anchor stores of Ayala Center Cebu, at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5.
The fire was declared under control at 12:45 p.m. on Jan. 7, or after about 38 hours.
The first floor was not damaged, while the second floor sustained minimal damage. The blaze was contained and did not reach the Ayala Center Cebu mall, to which the Metro building is attached.
Authorities declared the fire out at 4:18 p.m. Monday, Jan. 8.
As soon as the declaration was made, CHI immediately began its cleanup and systems check.
In an earlier report, Japzon told SunStar Cebu that CHI has completed its “thorough cleanup and systems check” last Monday.
CHI, though, has yet to quantify its business loss during the 12 days that the mall was closed.
With Ayala Center Cebu opening its doors to the public again, foreign spectators and local revelers may now attend the Sinulog events inside the mall.
The Kapuso Fiesta, which was transferred to Pescadores Rd., will return to its original venue at The Terraces. The event will be on Friday, Jan. 19.
The Balik Cebu Dinner for balikbayans on Thursday, though, will remain at the Sinulog Ballroom at the City Sports Club. The activity used to be held at The Terraces.
A Sto. Niño exhibit at The Gallery area will also be open to the public from Friday to Jan. 23.
In a separate interview, lawyer Vincent Tomaneng, corporate secretary and chief legal counsel of MRSGI, said the removal operations of the cooling tower, generator sets and chiller is still ongoing as of yesterday.
MSGI wants it completely taken out by the end of the week, he said.
As of the moment, Tomaneng said they have yet to determine the total cost of damage and how soon the fire-torn building can be demolished.
Sought for comment on Ayala’s reopening, City Building Official Engr. Josefa Ylanan said the clearance to resume operation will come from the Bureau of Fire Protection.
“For the City’s part, Ayala has always been compliant with the Building Code and never had any building violations. The mall was not damaged, it was just inundated as an aftermath of the Metro fire, but other than that, the Ayala building has no issues,” she told SunStar Cebu. /
We will continue with activities that have become part of the way locals and tourists celebrate the grand festiva... This is our way of thanking the Cebuano community for their support, especially during the past week.
JUN BISNAR
Cebu Holdings Inc. president For the City’s part, Ayala has always been compliant with the Building Code and never had any building violations. The mall was not damaged, it was just inundated as an aftermath of the Metro fire... ENGR. JOSEFA YLANAN