Construction in the Philippines is a mess. It's mostly bricolage and jury-rigging. It's a surprise anything works. Especially egregious is the lack of safety on so many construction sites. Take a look at this guy moving heavy cement drains while wearing nothing but slippers.
The man could lose his foot and apparently not even he cares. Certainly his supervisor doesn't care or he would have provided boots or spent him home. You can watch the full video here:
According to the Bureau of Fire Protection 15 municipalities in the Eastern Visayas do not have their own fire stations which puts the lives and properties of residents at risk. 12 of these municipalities are islands which means they are practically out of reach of any help should a fire occur.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1877484/15-towns-in-eastern-visayas-have-no-fire-stations-says-bfp |
A total 15 municipalities in Eastern Visayas do not have their own fire stations, putting at risk the lives and properties of their residents, a Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) official revealed.
Senior Supt. Randy Mendaros, assistant regional director of the BFP, said 12 of these areas are island-municipalities. These are Maripipi in Biliran province; Almagro, Daram, Sto. Niño, Tagapul-an, Talalora, and Zumarraga, all in Samar province; and Biri, Lapinig, Rosario, San Vicente and Victoria in Northern Samar.
The other towns without fire stations and fire equipment are Llorente, General MacArthur, and Mercedes, all in Eastern Samar.
Eastern Visayas has 136 municipalities and seven cities in the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Northern Samar, Samar, and Eastern Samar.
The reason for the absence of fire station in these municipalities is because local governments have not donated appropriate lots where they can be constructed.
The 15 municipalities do not have their own fire stations in the absence of lots, which are supposed to be donated by the local governments, where these can be constructed, Mendaros revealed.
According to Mendaros, the usual practice was for the BFP to build the fire station and provide the equipment on a property donated by the local government unit (LGU).
There were LGUs that were willing to donate lots but in one instance, a property was rejected by the BFP since it was located in a hazard-prone area, he added. In the absence of fire stations in these 15 towns, the nearest fire station must help put out the fire should a fire break in one of these municipalities, said Mendaros.
But because of the distance, the fire trucks were expected to arrive at least 30 minutes at the fire scene and not within the 10-minute ideal response time.
Aside from the lack of fire stations, he revealed there were only 248 firetrucks across the region, 27 of which were not serviceable or under maintenance, while 168 of the 769 fire hydrants across in the region were not functioning.
Do local governments not care about their own constituents or themselves? Why would they donate useless lots to the BFP? Perhaps a wider investigation should be carried out to ensure that these municipalities have proper fire stations and penalize LGUs who burden the process. But in the Philippines it will probably take a barangay captain's house burning down before any decisive action is taken.
Bathrooms in the Philippines are notoriously nasty, foul places. Lack of toilet paper and running water are just two of the problems. Now one Cebu City councilor is calling out Cebu City establishments for this very problem.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/546613/cebu-city-councilor-calls-out-foul-unhygienic-restrooms-of-establishments |
“Foul and unhygienic” comfort rooms in various establishments caught the attention of Cebu City Councilor Jun Alcover.
In his privileged speech during the council’s regular session on Wednesday, December 20, he raised concerns about unsanitary comfort rooms in establishments in Cebu City.
"I just want to convey an observation to the establishments in the city, it's a small thing from our point of view but it has a big impact on our visitors; the dirt in the comfort rooms in other establishments,” Alcover stated.
Let's stop here. Why are unhygienic bathrooms a "small thing from our point of view?" Whose point of view is he talking about? Filipinos? Cebu City's? It's an odd thing to say because nasty bathrooms impact everyone who will use them not just visitors. This man is practically undermining his speech by calling it "a small thing from our point of view."
He noted that the “foul and unhygienic” state of comfort rooms would be a concern as the city will expect an influx of visitors exploring malls and other establishments during this festive season leading up to Christmas and Sinulog in January.
"This is a reflection of how dirty the establishments are, no matter how handsome the outsiders are, if your CRs are dirty, it really reflects the personality of the establishment," he said.Alcover stressed the need for businesses to recognize that the condition of their comfort rooms reflects the personality and standards of their establishments.
"There is still a hotel, a big hotel, when [I] was there, the comfort room smelled really bad. I went to the parlor, the comfort room was almost ruined. Gas station, perting baao, CR is still broken. Restaurants, comfort rooms are dirty," he stressed.During his recent rounds in the city, Alcover noted instances of poorly maintained comfort rooms, citing examples of unclean facilities, malfunctioning flush systems, and broken amenities.
These observations were not limited to a single type of business but included hotels, gas stations, and restaurants.
With this, Alcover urged establishments to take responsibility for maintaining the cleanliness of their comfort rooms not only during the holiday season but consistently throughout the year.
He emphasized that collective efforts from both the public and private sectors are crucial to achieving a cleaner and more appealing environment for locals and tourists alike.
Did this man go undercover to various establishments and test out their bathrooms? It's simply too bad he makes this issue one about image. It's about cleanliness and health. Are we not still in the midst of a pandemic where the authorities are carping about following minimal health standards? Bathrooms should be cleaned whether or not visitors from out of town are coming to shop.
At least he has an action plan. Let's see what it is.
Moreover, to address the cleanliness concerns raised in his privilege speech, Alcover has proposed a series of actions.
Firstly, he called on business establishments to prioritize and maintain the cleanliness of their comfort rooms, emphasizing the impact it has on the overall impression of the city.
Secondly, he moved to request the Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) to intensify sanitary inspections in major establishments, including malls, tourist spots, and gas stations.
Lastly, he further requested the CCHD to submit a report every 15 days, detailing the results of their sanitary inspections.
Alcover hopes to instigate changes in the cleanliness practices of establishments in Cebu City, creating an environment that aligns with the standards set by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama for a cleaner and more organized city, akin to the renowned cleanliness standards of Singapore.
"If all the comfort rooms are clean, we can really reach what the mayor calls Singapore-like [Cebu City]," he said.
Regular inspections by the City Health Department are actually a good idea. But sadly he ends with an appeal to image saying clean comfort rooms will help Cebu City become Singapore-like. I hate to break it to him but Cebu is not going to be like Singapore simply because the bathrooms are clean. Has he been to Singapore? The entire city is clean and their public transportation is leagues apart from any public transportation system in the Philippines.
It's sad that the image of the city is his primary concern and not the health of residents. Calling out establishments for being disgusting is good but health should be the first concern and not the image of the city. He is right but for all the wrong reasons.
A fire at a T-shirt factory has killed 16 people and destroyed the business.
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| https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/15-dead-as-fire-blazes-residential-area-in-tandang-sora-quezon-city |
A fire broke out in a residential area being used as warehouse in Barangay Tandang Sora, Quezon City, on Thursday morning, leaving a total of 15 deaths, including a three-month-old child.
According to RH Val Gonzales, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported that the fire blazed at around 5:00 a.m. early morning, and the fatalities were found beyond recognition, and there are still three who fortunately survived.
Moreover, the casualties were still being identified by the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Scene of Crime Operations (SOCO) division personnel.
Based on the incident report from the BFP, the fire started at around 5:30 a.m. and was raised to its first alarm at 5:44 a.m.
It was declared under control at 6:28 a.m. and was officially fired out by 8:04 a.m.
According to BFP NCR Director FCSupt. Nahum Tarroza, there are highly combustible materials inside the establishment, including paints and other materials.
Tarroza added that they also found many working violations, which included the lack of permits as well as a small area that large machines being used in the production of clothes could not fit in.
Furthermore, Brgy. Tandang Sora said that the T-shirt factory just had its permits renewed last month.
The volume of acceptances at the factory appeared to be high as it operated despite an incomplete working permit.
Meanwhile, the BFP is conducting a thorough investigation into the fatal incident that killed 15 people.
Whoops! It turns out this "factory" and "warehouse" is actually just a regular old house in a RESIDENTIAL AREA. It also had no proper permits though it was in the process of RENEWING its permits. Who the heck granted this business a permit to operate as a t-shirt factory in a residential area? They need to be held accountable.
Let's read another report of this same incident.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/31/15-dead-as-fires-hits-building-in-qc |
At least 15 workers died when they were trapped in a fire that gutted a two-storey residential-commercial building housing a t-shirt factory in Pleasant View Subdvision, Barangay Tandang Sora, Quezon City on Thursday morning, Aug. 31.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the fire status was raised to first alarm at around 5:30 a.m. and was declared under control at around 6:44 a.m.
The blaze was extinguished at around 8:04 a.m.
Authorities have yet to disclose the amount of damage to property caused by the blaze as well as the number of families/individuals affected.
The BFP and Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (QCDRRMO) personnel retrieved the bodies of the victim after responders were able to put out the fire.
In an interview, BFP Regional Director Chief Supt. Nahum B. Tarozza said that following their inspection, they found out that the commercial building only has one entrance and exit door and the t-shirt printing business operating inside it has no fire safety permit.
He said that the 15 fatalities, who were personnel of the t-shirt printing business, were staying at the rooms at the back part of the building when the incident happened. Their names have not been disclosed.
He added that the victims allegedly attempted to escape but failed. Their bodies were found outside their rooms.
The BFP chief said that the fire allegedly originated from the old office of the business which was located on the first floor of the building according to the witness, while some of the materials used for the t-shirt printing are flammable such as paint and plastic.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
“The local government of Quezon City expresses its heartfelt condolences to the family and relatives of the victims of the fire in a building in Barangay Tandang Sora this morning,” the city governement said.
It said the City Social Services Development Department (SSDD) is now coordinating with the families of the deceased victims to provide them with assistance.
“Currently, the Department of Building Official (DBO) and Business Permit and Licensing Department (BPLD) are checking if the business using the establishment has enough permits and documents. Among the things to be investigated is if there is a violation of the National Building Code, Fire Code of the Philippines, zoning ordinance, business permit, occupancy permit and other laws and ordinances,” the local government said.
“We would like to assure the public, especially the families of the victims, that we will give priority to a thorough investigation to hold accountable the agencies or individuals who made the mistake that caused this incident, along with the implementation of additional measures and policies to prevent it from happening again in the future,” it added.
Now we get some more details. The building had only ONE ENTRANCE AND EXIT and NO FIRE SAFETY PERMITS! The "Department of Building Official (DBO) and Business Permit and Licensing Department (BPLD)" is checking to see if there were violations of "the National Building Code, Fire Code of the Philippines, zoning ordinance, business permit, occupancy permit and other laws and ordinances."
Obviously there were such violations. But on a positive note it appears there were no bars on the second floor windows. At least they have not indicated that is the case. It's another area that warrants investigation.
Finally, one more story about this situation.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/31/23/16-dead-in-tandang-sora-fire |
Sixteen people, including a 3-year-old girl, were killed in a first-alarm fire that ravaged a house converted to a t-shirt manufacturing establishment in Tandang Sora, Quezon City on Thursday morning, authorities said.
Fire Chief Supt. Nahum Tarroza of the Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region said on TeleRadyo Serbisyo the house on Kennedy Lane was undergoing expansion when the fire struck on the first floor of the house. He said chemicals used for t-shirt printing could have caused the fire to spread rapidly.
The owners of the house and their 3-year-old child were among the fatalities. Most of the fatalities were stay-in workers, the fire official said.
Three survived the fire including Mariafe Parle, an all-around maid of the owner. She said that they were in deep sleep when the fire broke out and she escaped through a window.
She even tried to rescue the girl who was carried by her mother, but she had difficulty breathing. Parle sustained injuries on her hands and feet from jumping off the window.
Another survivor recalled that it was difficult for them to locate the front door, which is the only way out of the house.
Tarroza said they would launch an investigation into the fire after they learned that the house had no permits to operate. The house has yet to secure a fire safety inspection certification from the BFP.
Firefighters took too long to respond to the fire after they were given the wrong address, Tarroza said. Heavy floods in parts of Quezon City also impeded fire trucks from reaching the area quickly.
Since the maid jumped out of the window it is established that at least that particular window did not have bars.
It is also noted that most of the fatalities lived at the job site. That is a real problem in the Philippines. No one should be living at their job. It is simply inconceivable that anyone is living in a factory.
And for the coup de grace we learnt that the firefighters were given the wrong address which resulted in them arriving too late.
What a horrorshow. Everything wrong with the Philippines is contained in the story. The reappropriation of residential areas as industrial/business areas. Workers forced to live in the factory. No regard for safety.
No regard for safety is the key here. It seems as if everything in this nation is jury-rigged. I can say with confidence this is not the first such tragedy nor will it be the last.
Ever since a popular local mall opened its doors a few years ago there has been a major fire hazard right at the entrance. When you walk in you are greeted with a huge set of stairs which are flanked on either wide with escalators, one going up and one going down. The stairs cannot be used as they are obstructed at the top and then bottom by vendors.
Sometimes you cannot use the escalators either as they are under repair. The second set of stairs is around the corner in the back. While it is a hassle to have to walk way to the back just to go upstairs that hassle is not the real problem with this situation.
SECTION 8. Prohibited Acts. ‑ The following are declared as prohibited act and omission:
a. Obstructing or blocking the exit ways or across to buildings clearly marked for fire safety purposes, such as but not limited to aisles in interior rooms, any part of stairways, hallways, corridors, vestibules, balconies or bridges leading to a stairway or exit of any kind, or tolerating or allowing said violations;
Why were those stairs built in the first place if they aren't going to be used? If there was a fire there would be no easy way out. People would crowd the escalator, if it wasn't being repaired, or they would have to flock all the way to the back of the building to the other set of narrow stairs.
How can this mall pass a fire code examination when this set of stairs has been illegally obstructed since the beginning? This situation has been ongoing for 4 years now. One can only speculate as to what transactions are taking place behind the scenes to the detriment of the public but we can be confident that such activities are taking place. If not then the fire inspector is either blind as a bat or ignorant of the fire code!
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1236992/worker-dies-after-his-jackhammer-hits-live-wire-during-dig-for-water-utility |
Lt. Col. Aldwin Gamboa, city police chief, said in a report that Mark Renier Cardel, 26, was operating a jack hammer to bore into a concrete pavement when he accidentally hit a live electric wire inside a PVC pipe at the village of San Roque around 4 p.m.
Cordel was with four other workers of the Legazpi City Water District during the accident.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/290703/259-houses-razed-in-cebu-city-blaze |
An early evening fire in Barangay Suba, Cebu City displaced hundreds of families after it razed 259 houses in a residential area in Sitio Santo Niño, Barangay Suba, Cebu City at past 7 p.m. of Wednesday, February 26, 2020.
Senior Fire Officer 1 Novo Erana of the Cebu City Fire Department, said that they estimated the damage to property at P1.5 million.
Meanwhile, Erana said that initial investigation showed that the fire started at the second floor ceiling of the house of a Jerry Cabido.
Because of this, they were verifying Cabido’s information and they were investigating the start of the fire to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring.
Based on Cabido’s statement, they heard a sparkling sound and then they started to smell a foul odor.
Erana said that the Cabido family after seeing thick smoke coming out of the second floor of their house, ran outside their house.
It only took a few minutes for the fire to eat up the second floor of the house of Cabido, which was made of light materials and the fire spread to nearby houses as well.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/290794/close-to-3k-individuals-displaced-in-suba-fire |
The fire that broke out in Sitio Sto. Niño in Barangay Suba in Cebu City displaced close to 3,000 individuals.
Latest data from Suba Barangay Hall showed that the fire last Wednesday evening, February 26, 2020, burned down 311 houses, and displaced 638 families or 2,851 individuals.
Most of the people who lost their homes are now staying in three nearby evacuation sites – Pasil Sports Complex, Suba Sports Complex, and a barangay-owned covered court.
One of them is Susana Cortes, a 60 year-old sari-sari store vendor, who is now appealing for government officials to provide them financial assistance so they can rebuild their houses.
“Hopefully they can provide us financial assistance so we can build back our houses. We have no other places to think of staying,” said Susana.
Susana’s two-storey wooden house in Sitio Sto. Niño, Barangay Suba – which is just a few meters away from the seawall that separates the village and Mactan Channel – was totally damaged.
Susana said her family of 10 only managed to save their own lives, and several of their clothes.
They are now staying in Suba Sports Complex as they wait for clearance from the city disaster to rebuild their house.
Suba Barangay Captain Jojo Sable said Cebu Daily News Digital in an interview that the city government has started providing food and other basic needs to the victims.
“What they really need right now is food and basic necessities such as blankets,” Sable said.
He also said the victims can rebuild their homes since most of them have lot titles as proof of ownership.
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| https://twitter.com/cebudailynews/status/1232877966163529728 |
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/290807/in-photos-barangay-suba-fire |
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| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provincetown,_Massachusetts |
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| https://www.capecodtimes.com/news/20180209/looking-back-on-whalers-wharf-fire |
The fire destroyed 16 businesses in the Whalers Wharf complex, including owner Dale Elmer’s The Handcrafter store. Most of the Crown & Anchor Motor Inn to the east was destroyed, including three businesses. Smoke and water damaged Marine Specialities, a store to the west of Whalers Wharf.
The accidental electrical fire was caused by multiple space heaters in the caretaker’s room, according to Jennifer Mieth, a spokeswoman for the state fire marshal’s office.
The former movie theater, built in 1919, had been converted into artists stalls with leather, jewelry, seashells, pottery and more for sale. A psychic gave readings. A restaurant served food. In the makeshift setup inside the mall, extension cords ran under carpets and behind cabinets throughout the complex, according to the fire investigator’s report.
But despite the unsafe physical conditions, Elmer drew artists and potential artists to him with encouragement; a willingness to sell their work in his own shop; the $3,000 summer rent in the mall, with utilities included; and the ability to offer work to tide the artists over during the winter.
Wooden buildings crowd close together in this small fishing village and art colony, where the streets are just 22 feet wide, including the sidewalks -- so narrow that firefighters had to remove parked cars to reach the blaze. A stronger wind might have spread the flames to the entire historic street, officials said.
“I hate it when there are fires down here,” said Provincetown firefighter Mike Smith. “The whole town could go up.”
As it was, some embers drifted inland over the tops of the buildings and set a grass fire near the Pilgrim Monument three blocks away, and residents with garden hoses doused the steeple of an adjacent church and other buildings.
“We’re lucky it wasn’t a conflagration,” said Allen Gallant, who climbed atop the steeple with a hose. “The buildings down there are so old and so close together.”
https://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/19980212/news/302129960
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/290807/in-photos-barangay-suba-fire |
4. The Local Government staff shall formulate a 3-year, a 5-year and a long-term on-going program for the improvement of slums and blighted areas and shall integrate these plans with the development plan of their city/municipality and with the efforts in housing of the National Housing Authority. The local city government is hereby directed to submit within 60 days from the constitution of the staff its Three-Year Plan to the National Housing Authority.
5. The program shall isolate each blighted area, and the local government through its staff shall formulate a project plan for the improvement of each area. The National Housing Authority is hereby directed to issue guidelines for the formulation of plans for improvement of areas.
https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1977/06/11/letter-of-instruction-no-555-s-1977/
Mayor Edgardo Labella said he will ask the NHA to give P30,000 each fire victim, the same amount it give to the Mabolo fire victims.
He said the city government is also giving each house owner P20,000 while P10,000 for renters and bed spacers.
The mayor assured that there is no lot problem in the area and that the fire victims can rebuild their houses anytime.
“There is no problem with the area, there is no lot issue because this is an area already classified by the slum improvement and resettlement (SIR),” said Labella.
The city government, however, is looking at the possibility of reblocking the area to ensure emergency access.
“These are already designated spaces since they are SIR, but nonetheless we will have to look into that so that if there is another fire dili ing-ana kadaghan ang ma sunog,” said Labella.
One of the problems encountered by the fire responders during the incident was the lack of emergency access. The fire department received the fire alarm at 6:15 p.m. but it took more than two hours to control the blaze.
https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2020/02/28/1996754/suba-fire-victims-get-cash-aid-city-nha
The over 600 families displaced by the fire in Barangay Suba, Cebu City can rebuild their homes under one condition.
A setback should be implemented.
This as Government officials from Barangay Suba and Cebu City plan to implement a setback in the affected area, which means that new structures that will be built in Sitio Sto. Niño should be at least a few meters away from the sidewalk.
Jojo Sable, Suba Barangay Captain, told Cebu Daily News Digital in an interview that there is a need to reclaim the sidewalks in their barangays.
“A lot of houses have already encroached the sidewalks in our barangay. We are now coordinating with the DWUP (Division of Welfare for the Urban Poor) to iron out more about this matter – including the required distance between the sidewalk and the houses,” Sable said in Cebuano.
Houses rebuilt with setbacks are usually erected at least five meters away from the sidewalk.
Sable also said the need to reclaim their sidewalks is important so that firefighters will have easy access in case another fire breaks out in their village.
“When the fire broke out, we observed how some houses have even covered the canals which are also one of the paths firefighters should have access to when there’s fire,” he added.
Barangays Suba and Pasil with huge public markets are expected to need massive clearing operations in their barangay roads
https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/288935/probe-willing-to-assist-barangays-in-road-clearingTaking a look at the photos above there does not seem to be any sidewalk to speak of. Despite the fact that the government was told 43 years ago to clean up and improve the slums it is highly likely that if Barangay Suba is rebuilt it will be done in the same claustrophobic manner. That is just how it is in the Philippines.
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| http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1029972/man-accidentally-shot-while-hunting-in-quezon |
A wild animal hunter accidentally shot and killed his brother in Mauban town in Quezon province Saturday night, police said.
A report from Quezon police said Joey Pinza, 48, and his younger sibling Ruel, 32, were hunting wild animals in the mountainous area of Barangay (village) Cagsiay 2 around 9 p.m.
Police said Joey accidentally pulled the trigger of his homemade shotgun and hit Ruel, who was walking beside him, on the right side of his head. The victim died on the spot.
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| philippines homemade guns |
