9 hurt as food park roof collapses

CEBU, Philippines —  At least nine individuals were injured when the roof of a newly opened food park collapsed in the wake of heavy rains in Sitio Bagumbayan 2, Barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City, Sunday night, February 5.

Nagiel Bañacia, head of the Lapu-Lapu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LLCDRRMO), said the victims were enjoying their food and drinks at the Mactan Lifestyle Park when the roof made of transparent plastic collapsed.

Bañacia said the victims mostly sustained head contusions, minor bruises, and abrasions (skin rub-off) in different body parts, particularly in their arms and neck, and were brought immediately to a nearby hospital by Maribago and Lapu-Lapu City rescue personnel.

Other victims begged off from being brought to the hospital and chose to recuperate at home.

The Mactan Lifestyle Park opened only on Sunday night, attended by several Lapu-Lapu City government officials such as Barangay Maribago Councilor Arvin Abing, Maribago Barangay Captain Russell Abing, Mayor Junard "Ahong" Chan, and his wife, Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Representative Ma. Cynthia "Cindi" King-Chan, among others.

The park consists of 35 stalls, 17 of which were already occupied. Ten stalls were already furnished but still not rented, and eight stalls are still under construction.

Chan and his wife left the place before the incident happened.

Bañacia said that it appeared that there was a problem in the roof's structure and a possible defect in its design which will be investigated further by the structural engineers of the Office of the Building Official (OBO) and the Search and Rescue (SAR) team of the Lapu-Lapu City rescue.

Personnel of the Lapu-Lapu City rescue had already closed and cordoned the area while the investigation was ongoing.

Barangay Maribago Councilor Arvin Abing said they are set to summon the food park's owner to shed light on what happened and ask them if they could shoulder the victims' medical expenses.

He also advised owners of similar establishments to prioritize their customer's safety and avoid using substandard materials.

Suspended

For his part, Chan has ordered the suspension of the operations of the establishment.

Chan made the decision following the report he received from the Lapu-Lapu City Engineering Office.

Engr. Perla Amar, head of Lapu-Lapu City's Engineering Office, cited that based on their initial investigation, the establishment failed to secure a building permit from the Engineering Office before it opened. Thus, city engineers recommended for its closure.

A building permit is among the necessary requirements needed to be acquired by any business establisment before it can legitimately operate.

"Ang akong adminstrasyon padayon nga misupporta ug motabang sa mga gagmay nga negosyante nga makabarog sa ilang kaugalingon ug molambo ang ilang negosyo labi na human sa milabay nga pandemic ug Bagyong Odette. Apan, wala kini magpasabot nga ato nalang tugutan nga dili mokuha sa mga gikinahanglan nga mga rekisitos ug mga permit ang usa ka negosyante para maka-operate nga legal ang usa ka negosyo. Ang syudad nagpadayon nga business-friendly ug sayon ra kaayo ang pagsunod sa proceso para makakuha kita og permit," said Chan.

The mayor also said he already mandated OBO, Business Process Licensing Office (BPLO) and the City Attorney's Office to look into the food park's possible lapses and order its closure until it is able to comply with the necessary requirements.

Investigation, nonetheless, is ongoing.

Amar also stated that they found that the structure was improperly built with no proper fire exit.

She said they were able to talk to the food park's owners, who are residents of Barangay Soong, and they vowed to shoulder the hospital expenses of the victims.

The owners claimed that the original contractor abandoned the project, and a new contractor finished the job left.

Amar said they would impose a penalty of P10,000 on the food park's operator for operating without a building permit.

She reiterated that they always do regular annual inspections with the licensed business establishments in the city and issue notice of violations to businesses that failed to secure building permit.

Amar advised business owners of whether small or large-scale enterprises to secure building permit to ensure the safety of their establishments. – Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon, JMD  (FREEMAN)