Lessons from the Davao and Cebu mall fire disasters
The tragic fire that hit that Davao mall, which killed many call center agents a few days before Christmas, as well as the fire in our own Ayala Center here in Cebu City last weekend, are wake-up calls for all of us, especially mall owners who are principally responsible for the safety, security, and well-being of both their customers and employees. It is also a grim reminder to the local government and the fire safety officers of the Bureau of fire Protection to leave no stone unturned to assure the public and the workers that they are safe while inside these establishments. It is also the responsibility of DOLE to safeguard the occupational health, safety, and security of workers.
The problem with us Filipinos is that no one dares to accept responsibility for fire disasters. If that Davao tragedy happened in Japan, the city mayor would immediately tender his resignation (with apologies to Mayor Inday Sarah Duterte-Carpio) because, under the Local Government Code, the city's chief executive has command responsibility over all city engineering officers, who should have known there were fire hazards. Also, the regional director of the Bureau of Fire Protection, together with the city's chief fire marshal should offer their heads in the chopping block because their presumed negligence contributed to the tragedy.
But, to my mind, the primary responsibility resides in the mall owners. They owe it to the public who patronize their establishments to exercise extraordinary diligence in avoiding man-made disasters. I say it is man-made because, unlike an earthquake, typhoon, or volcanic eruption, a mall fire can be prevented. It is subject to proactive human intervention. Mall owners are expected to put their building officials to task and should even fire them for such presumed absence of care, caution, prudence, and extraordinary diligence. The Cebu disaster was better than the Davao tragedy because no life was lost. But just the same, properties were seriously damaged, and millions in assets wasted.
Mall owners make millions in profits every day. They should thus invest a little more budget and put more resources in safety and security measures. They should hire competent building officials who passed certificate courses in fire safety. Mall owners should regularly conduct a fire safety audit of the entire building, including all nooks and crannies. They should send their personnel to training, and should conduct constant fire safety inspection. The mall administrators should not rely on tenants whose sense of responsibility might not encompass fire safety. Summer is still two months away but, as early as now, we have to be prepared.
The Kentex disaster in Valenzuela, Metro Manila, killed so many workers. The Resorts World tragedy in Pasay City also ended in multiple deaths. The Davao fire killed many young breadwinners. The people should hold the mall and supermarket owners and also the government accountable for all deaths and injuries. These irresponsible guys should be sued in court for disasters in their establishments.
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