Tire firm suspends operations after fire

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. (YTPI) suspended its operations yesterday pending an investigation into a fire, which gutted one of its warehouses and injured two of its workers in this freeport on Sunday.

Eric Jimenez, Clark Development Corp. acting spokesman, said initial investigation showed that an “overloaded cable tray” could have triggered the fire, which broke out at around 3:15 p.m. and was declared out by 6:20 p.m. 

 Enrico Pineda and Randy Dizon suffered “minor suffocation” and were brought to The Medical City for treatment.

Labor Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said YTPI is expected to resume operations immediately after the rehabilitation of its affected facilities.

“Based on the report of our regional office, if ever there will be those who will be displaced, it will be temporary...The company has no intention to lay off workers,” Olalia said in an interview.

He said Yokohama has 2,300 regular workers. At least 500 were on duty when the fire broke out.

Olalia said the extent of the damage is still being assessed.         

He gave assurance that the labor department would conduct an investigation to determine if the factory complied with labor regulations as well as occupational safety and health standards.

“If there are violations, the Department of Labor and Employment will take the appropriate action,” Olalia said.      

YTPI was put up in this freeport in April 1996. From an annual production of 1.2 million tires in 1998, the firm has been producing 11.9 million tires since 2015.