DILG wants LPG connections in BGC checked

MANILA, Philippines - Locators and building owners in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) were ordered to allow the conduct of a safety check on their piped-in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections to avoid a repeat of the explosion that occurred in the Two Serendra condominium last month.

The order was issued by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas in a meeting with BGC locators and building owners yesterday at the Mind Museum inside the BGC complex.

Roxas warned building owners that the government could order the gas supply cut if they refuse to cooperate with the safety check.

He said the BGC has 12 residential and 48 commercial or non-residential buildings that are connected with the piped-in LPG system of the Bonifacio Gas company. The commercial buildings serve as shops, offices and restaurants.

“I understand that you might have some anxieties about the gas or the explosion that transpired two weeks ago. Your government and your officials are working very hard to find out exactly what happened. We know that it was not a bomb. We know that it was gas, most likely LPG, but we are continuing the investigation,” Roxas told the building owners.

He said BGC is the first in the country to have a piped-in gas system. Of the 12 residential buildings inside the BGC, 2,327 units are connected to the LPG system while the 48 commercial buildings have 258 active end users, mostly restaurants.

“Roughly 2,600 are active end users of gas. All of these should be checked,” Roxas said, adding that the government is serious in this initiative and is asking the cooperation of the building owners.

The DILG chief said someone should be held liable if something bad would happen, or if there was negligence committed.

“With the safety check, we would know what system in checking was applied or who checked the units in every building that uses gas,” he said.

Roxas said the safety check would be conducted by the unit owners and building managers in coordination with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the city government of Taguig.

He said next week, the BFP and the city government of Taguig would come up with a standard safety checklist that would be used by the unit owners and managers in conducting safety self checks.

“We will communicate with the Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation once the checklist is out,” Roxas said, as he noted that the safety checks would have to be completed within six weeks or by the end of July.