Fire razes packaging, garments factories

MANILA, Philippines - A packaging factory in Valenzuela City and a garments firm in Navotas were burned to the ground in separate incidents yesterday.

No one was reported hurt or killed in both fires.

Superintendent Agapito Nacario, Valenzuela City fire marshal, initially pegged the damage to the building of Constant Packaging Corp., reportedly owned by William Chan, at about P20 million. The CPC makes corrugated carton boxes and labels.

The fire broke out at the second floor of the building at around 4:52 a.m. and was put out by 8 a.m. Nacario said the fire lasted three hours due to “voluminous stocks of carton.”

In Navotas, a garments firm sustained damages pegged at P300,000 when a fire broke out at the second floor of the factory on M. Naval street in Barangay North Bay Boulevard South.

Chief Inspector Felix Medes, Navotas fire marshal, said owner Nelson Chua would not name the firm as it was no longer operating. Only idle equipment and the building itself were burned down in the blaze, said Medes.

Medes said the fire broke out at 10:45 p.m. Monday and was declared out in less than an hour. – Jerry Botial