Flames gut Cebu mall

By Davinci S. Maru

Friday, December 23, 2011

CEBU (Updated) -- It was like a scene from a disaster movie when a commercial building erupted in flames and spewed thick, black smoke while pedestrians clogged the streets.

The seven-storey Gaisano Capital South was gutted by flames that broke out in the early hours of Friday and lasted more than 18 hours.

The fire at the corner of Leon Kilat and Colon Sts., Cebu City, highlighted the fire department’s lack of equipment for high-rise operations.

Smoke poured from gaping holes and upper floors, which turned out to be the worst enemy of rescue officials. Debris rained on the ground as the fire continued to raze the building.

CEBU. Onlookers gather as smoke pours out of all sides of the Gaisano Capital building at the corner of Colon and Leon Kilat Sts. Firefighting operations lasted more than 18 hours, and the lack of ladders and other equipment hampered firefighters. (Arni Aclao)

Food chains, cellular phone shops, retail stores and other enterprises were forced to shut down, on what would have been one of their busiest days of the year. The mall was supposed to hold a midnight sale Friday.

Traffic enforcers kept vehicles from entering the streets closest to the fire scene.

No one was reported injured.

While most people went about the holiday rush, about 1,000 mall employees were afraid they might lose their jobs.

Cebu City Fire Marshall Anderson Comar said they received the alarm at 12:42 a.m. from a security guard who was on duty when the fire began.

Initial reports revealed an explosion was heard within the mall’s ground floor area, followed by thick smoke coming from the receiving area.

All of the city’s firefighting units rushed to the mall with the help of neighboring municipalities, the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (Eruf), Filipino-Chinese Fire Brigade, barangay fire brigades, and the police.

Comar, in an interview, told reporters some unidentified men didn’t let them immediately inside when they arrived, which he described as a setback in the firefighting operations.

Smoke

By the time the firefighters were allowed inside, the smoke made it hard for them to breathe or see anything.

At 3:55 a.m., the fire alarm was raised to Task Force Bravo, the highest distress signal.

Operatives of the Special Reaction Unit used breathing apparatus inside, but the intense smoke hampered their movements.

Only 30 combined breathing apparatus were available from the Cebu City Fire Department and Bureau of Fire Protection in Central Visayas. Each unit could sustain a firefighter for less than an hour inside a smoke-filled area.

A helicopter from the Philippine Air Force (PAF) hovered above the fire scene, to monitor developments.

Three aerial ladders also weren’t much help after they broke down during the emergency operations.

Firefighters had to use a boom truck from the Visayan Electric Company (Veco) and City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) to manually break the glass windows of the mall for ventilation, or at least to flush the smoke out.

In the spirit of bayanihan, rescue volunteers deployed on orders of retired Major General Victor Garcia, vice president for security of Metro Stores, aided in the firefighting operations.

Cave-in

Sixty armed operatives from the Cebu City Police Office (CPPO) led by Inspector Arnel Banzon helped control the crowd.

Comar said he suspected the fire came from the engine and delivery and stock rooms of the mall, which they could not get into because it was already 140 degrees Celsius inside.

While their operation was ongoing, black smoke billowed after another eruption at 2:42 p.m. inside the McDonald’s outlet across the mall.

Firefighters were put to the test but were able to extinguish that fire that lasted no more than five minutes inside the fast food outlet.

Initial reports revealed a generator reportedly exploded after it overheated.

Diners who were having a late lunch scrambled away from the food outlet to avoid getting trapped.

At 3 p.m., a group of firefighters penetrated the mall and reached the second floor.

However, they had to run out after some floors caved in and they noticed some cracks.

The roof of the seventh level caved in, forcing the firefighters to briefly suspend operations.

Losses

December is usually the best season for retail operations, which was why the timing couldn’t have been worse for Gaisano Capital and its tenants.

Connie Lavado, an optometrist of the Fernandez Eye Clinic, told Sun.Star Cebu they lost almost P12 million worth of items, cash and checks.

Boxes of eyeglasses were recently shipped out from Surigao City in Mindanao and stored inside the establishment. The clinic is one of the tenants of the mall, the first of the chain of 17 stores run by the Gaisano Capital Group.

The store also houses the offices of the Gaisano Capital Group on the upper floors.

It was the first Gaisano Capital put up by Edmund S. Gaisano as a spinoff of Gaisano Bros., the retail venture of the five Gaisano brothers who founded the old White Gold Store.

As of this year, Gaisano Capital has 17 branches in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Eric Labrada, the mall’s liaison officer, said there was no estimate yet as of 9 p.m. as to how much damage the fire had caused.

Openings

Corporate operations will resume on Monday, he said. Labrada also denied speculations the fire was not accidental.

“Why would we set our store on fire? We are even opening three more soon. That’s just baseless. A malicious accusation,” he said.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has tasked the Department of Manpower Development and Placement (DMDP) to make an inventory of the employees that will be displaced by the fire, if any.

He made this pronouncement after spending hours trying to manage firefighting operations.

Rama said the DMDP can help recommend jobs for the displaced employees because the department is in a better position to know about job openings in the different companies.

He will also task the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council as well as staff from the Office of the Mayor to look into possible lapses of the Cebu City Fire Department.

He wondered why Comar and his team did not insist on going inside the store when they were allegedly stopped by the security guard at the entrance.

“Why didn’t they insist? That aspect will have to be looked into,” said Rama. (With JGA of Sun.Star Cebu)

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on December 24, 2011.

Heavy smoke, limited gear and ladders for exhausted firefighters

	12/24/2011
IT took firefighters over 12 hours to contain the mall fire . Several skipped breakfast to respond to the early morning alarm. Aside from a delayed start in entering the Gaisano Capital South, they had limited breathing gear for prolonged work in the smoke-filled building and inadequate ladders. “Aso jud among kontra sa sulod. (Our main enemy inside is the smoke),” said FO1 Roger Abalos, who was bathed with sweat after emerging from the building with a 5-kilo tank on his back. Another 14-year veteran of fire operations, FO2 Romeo Birao, said the gear lasts for 45 minutes to one hour. “We need to get out of the mall after 30 minutes. But if you know how to hold your breath, you can last for an hour,” he said, after reaching the mall third floor. But after several forays into the dark building, the men were exhausted and still looking. “We can't locate the fire,” said Birao by midafternoon. Senior Supt. Aderson Comar, Cebu city fire marshall, said they had to wait for the smoke to be released before sending in firemen or risk suffocation. The firemen had to work in shifts because they only had 31 breathing apparatus available (15 from Cebu City and 16 from Mandaue City.) Replenishing the oxygen tanks took 30 minutes before another batch of firemen could enter the building again. Correspondent Ladders were also defective, prompting Comar to borrow ladders of the Cebu Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade. The government's ladder truck was used but after extending its length, it malfunctioned and couldn't fold. Boom trucks from the Visayan Electric Company and Cebu City Traffic Operation Management (Citom) arrived to assist. At first, the firefighters could not get inside the building because the smoke was so thick. The smoke became manageable past 8 a.m., allowing the firemen to get inside and fight the fire at the first and second floors. But the fire had already spread to the upper floors, which was still difficult to penetrate because of the heavy smoke. The lack of boom ladders also hampered the fire-fighting efforts. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama closed down part of Colon Street from Osmeña Boulevard to corner Leon Kilat Street-and part of Leon Kilat Street, from Colon to Sanciangco Streets, to allow fire trucks to use the roads. Most of the nearby shops were closed because electric power was cut off. A McDonald's outlet across the burning building used a generator set to continue operations but it overheated and exploded. Fire broke out but was immediately put out by the firemen who were across the street. /Correspondents Rhea Ruth Rosell, Chito Aragaon and Jhunnex Napallacan

1,800 employees worry about jobs

---

Around 1,800 workers face a bleak Christmas as the shopping mall where they worked in downtown Cebu City was gutted by fire past midnight.

A four-hour delay frustrated firemen who were stopped from entering the Gaisano Capital South.

The origin of the fire remains unclear.

It broke out at 12:42 a.m. when the building was empty. Past 7 p.m., it was still emitting heavy smoke and breaking out in flames more than 18 hours later.

Firemen struggled with limited breathing gear and ladders too short for the seven-story building in the corner of Colon and Leon Kilat Streets.

The Dec. 23 blaze destroyed large stocks of merchandise during peak sale season for Christmas shoppers in the store, which caters to mass market customers in south Cebu.

Firemen were prevented by the mall's security forces from breaking the large display windows to enter the building until Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama arrived at 5 a.m. and gave the order to proceed. The rolled-up metal doors were then opened.

Supt. Anderson Comar, fire chief, said fire fighters were denied entry during the first crucial hours.

Mayor Rama said he he wanted to know why access was denied.

“They didn't see the danger that the building would explode and the fire would spread to nearby buildings,” Rama told reporters.

“We can even destroy a neighbor's house just to save other buildings from catching fire,” he said, explaining actions justified during an emergency.

The mayor said he was able to speak with the mall owner Henry Gaisano, who wanted to make sure no one would be injured in the fire.

Past 3 p.m. an explosion was heard from inside the building, sending up more flames, the result of intense heat building up inside.

Until the early evening, firemen who battled heavy smoke, could not pinpoint the source of the fire. They emerged from the building after 30-minute intervals, the limit of their breathing apparatus, exhausted after hours of work.

Eddie Gaisano, one of the owners of the Gaisano Capital Group, was "devastated," said Eric Labrada, the firm's liaison officer.

The store in Colon was also used as the corporate office of Gaisano Capital, which has 17 branches nationwide.

Store employees, especially corporate office staff, will continue working but those assigned in the selling area will be on “work suspension”, said Eric Labrada, human resource manager.

They follow a “no-work-no-pay” policy because they are daily wage earners,” he told Cebu Daily News.

He said the mall has 1,000 direct hired personnel and 800 employees of tenants.

These include sales and office personnel, security guards and utility workers, both direct hire and agency-based.

Some employees already received their 13th month pay and Christmas bonus. Those who haven't yet, worry whether they will be paid.

Labrada assured this will be released but gave no time frame.

“We will give it to them. If one store was burned, we will have 16 stores operating,” he assured, adding that decisions have to be made by the top management.

He said the top management will meet to decide whether to release the monetary equivalent of leave credits to employees, which was scheduled on Dec. 29.

Almost all fire trucks in Metro Cebu were at the scene, including a helicopter from the the Philippine Air Force.

Comar said initial evaluation showed the fire started in the receiving area of the stock room. From Gaisano management, however, Labrada, said the source was traced to a spark in the engine room on the second floor where the generator is located.

Six security guards were on duty at the time. /Correspondents Chito Aragon, Rhea Ruth Rosell, Jhunnex Napallacan and Gabriel Bonjoc

A place that has it all

TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2011 18:50 AIR URQUIOLA | PHOTOS BY DON CLAVO DE COMER

ROBINSONS Land Corp. through Robinsons Luxuria, its premium property brand, has recently announced its newest premiere project in the offing, The Allegro at Sonata Place.

The Allegro is the first of the two-tower high-rise residential project in the second phase of Sonata Place. It will be a 42-story upscale condominium tower offering a mix of residential units, serviced residences and retail units.

The Allegro will be built on top of a shared three-story podium which will have a row of retail units on the ground floor, parking for guests on the second level and amenities on the third level. Above the podium are several floors dedicated for the service residences and the rest of the upper floors for the residential units.

In a recent media presentation, Frederick D. Go, president and chief operating officer of Robinsons Land Corp., discussed why The Allegro stands out. “Extra care and attention are devoted to selecting superior materials for the Allegro. Branded finishes and upgraded fixtures shall be delivered together with each unit. In addition, the convenience and comfort of residents at The Allegro are of paramount consideration. The development has been carefully planned out so that future residents will be able to have every opportunity of living in a secure, gated community while having everything essential within reach”.

The Allegro will be strategically located at the corner portion of Sonata Place, bordered by San Miguel Avenue and Lourdes Street in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. Its prime Ortigas location puts the project within the vicinity of primary commercial establishments such as Robinsons Galleria, SM Megamall, The Podium and Shangri-La Mall, plus offices of local and international companies found in the bustling area of the Ortigas Central Business District. Other notable establishments in the area include various top-caliber hotels and The Medical City, one of the most trusted medical institutions in the Philippines.

According to Dickson Ng, architect, designer and planner for The Allegro project, the building design takes inspiration from the contemporary architecture with a touch of neoclassic interior of the common areas. “We wanted to provide future residents a very relaxing feel when they come home here at The Allegro. The design that we created is something that never goes out of style. The use of modern lines and basic curves at the interior of each unit will give a soothing effect to homeowners after an energetic and productive day in the workplace or in school,” said Ng. The structure of The Allegro uses eco-friendly materials such as engineered wood for the flooring, marble organic counter for kitchen counters and homogeneous material for the tiles, and uses earth colors to give a very light and tranquil feeling.

The development’s retail units will be on the ground floor fronting San Miguel Avenue. These will be leased to upscale coffee shops and specialty stores. The second podium level is designated as the parking area for guests, while amenities will be located on the third level. Recreational facilities and amenities of the project include an adult and kiddie pool, children’s play area, game and media rooms, and a reading lounge. The Allegro’s Wellness Center will contain a fitness gym and spa-sauna facilities—amenities that will be shared by both residents and guests of the serviced residences. A multipurpose function room and a sky bar at the roof deck will be available to residents for larger gatherings.

The fourth to eleventh floors of the building are dedicated to the serviced residences of The Allegro. One-bedroom residential condominium units ranging from 42.55 to 64.96 sq m will be located on the 12th to 37th floors, while the two-bedroom (114.29-119.12 sq m) and three-bedroom units (149-169.64 sq m) will be built on the upper floors. The Allegro will have 408 flat units in total, and select number of these will have balconies.

In addition, each unit and the common areas in the building are equipped with safety features such as automatic smoke detectors and fire alarm with sprinkler system. In case of a power failure, a generator will provide 100-percent backup electricity in all common areas, including the Life Safety System of the building, as well as selected outlets in each residential unit. The Allegro’s four elevators (one service lift and three passenger lifts) will be fitted with a key card access system that will restrict the access of the unit owner to the floor of his unit and designated parking level. This system aims to provide security to the unit owners by preventing unauthorized access to residential floors.

Unit owners will enjoy the utmost convenience and comfort with The Allegro’s various concierge services. These include messenger and courier services, restaurant reservations, bellhop service, newspaper and magazine delivery, housekeeping services, shoe polishing, laundry, and dry cleaning/pressing services. Nurses and technical support staff will also be available on-call for Allegro unit owners.

Residential units at The Allegro range from P5 million to P8 million for one-bedroom units, P15 million to P16 million for two-bedroom units and P20 million to P23 million for three-bedroom units.

The Allegro at Sonata Place is a project of Robinsons Luxuria, the premium property brand of the Robinsons Land Corp. residential Division. Visit www.robinsonsluxuria.com for more information, or call us at +63917.3236123.

---

In Photo: An Architect's rendition of the building perspective.

China’s entrepreneurship problem

SUNDAY, 18 DECEMBER 2011 17:20 DOUGLAS HERVEY

DURING the 2008 Summer Olympics, China dazzled the world with Beijing’s posh athletic venues and revamped urban landscapes. And as the US and Europe have struggled with economic crises in the years since, China’s prodigious economic growth rates convinced many that it was only a matter of time before it became the globe’s economic leader.

But there are many reasons to be skeptical. Critics have cited China’s income inequality, poor urban migrants and political corruption as reasons to doubt China’s ability to maintain its rapid growth. Often lost in the discussion, however, is the fact that the cards are stacked against the Chinese entrepreneur.

The potential market for Chinese entrepreneurs is huge. Millions of Chinese have foregone certain purchases due to cost, accessibility and convenience. And millions of Chinese innovators would love to flood the market with smaller, cheaper more convenient products that don’t appeal to the mainstream market’s performance expectations.

But before that can happen, China must conquer several obstacles. The first is the value of the yuan. China could allow its currency to rise in order to lessen its dependence on the dollar, but this would harm exports and likely lead to widespread layoffs and social unrest.

An additional challenge is lending. Despite China’s recent announcement to cut the reserve-requirement ratio for its banks by 0.5 percentage points, it is still historically high. China’s inflation fighting policies have decreased bank lending to entrepreneurs. While inflation fears are easing, a limited stimulus will do little to discourage more lending to large, state-subsidized companies.

Those large, state-backed companies are themselves another obstacle. The government has provided many of them with capped interest rates and other favorable lending terms. Formed to create employment, not to maximize profit, they aren’t incentivized to disrupt themselves.

China’s growth will soon slow as the ‘’easy’’ phase of economic development ends. Fostering an environment that favors disruption is the prescription for continued growth. Instead, China has opted for a myopic approach at the expense of individual entrepreneurs.

In the United States, disruptive innovation has harmed a few but benefited many. In China, top-down capitalism has benefited a few but harmed many. An absence of disruptive innovation is suffocating China’s future growth potential. The future of that growth potential will depend in large part on whether China suppresses or unleashes its would-be entrepreneurs.

Douglas Hervey is a research associate for Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, with whom he is coauthoring a book on aligning incentives in health care.