The shopping center at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, (UP) caught on fire at around 7am this morning.
The shopping center houses Rodic’s, a restaurant that has been on campus since 1949, other eateries, a computer shop, and photocopying services.
According to ABS-CBN News, thick black smoke continued to envelop the building after 8am.
So far, there have been no reported casualties, but one firefighter who responded to the alarm was hurt in the fire.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported that the fire was already contained by 9am.
The BFP is still not sure how the fire started. They estimate that over PHP500,000 (about US$10,000) in property was damaged.
In a tweet this morning, UP Vice President for Public Affairs said that he was afraid the newly-renovated building was basically lost.
UP Shopping Center is on fire. Landbank and PNB safe so far but fire has spread throughout the main building itself. Very thick smoke. Am afraid the place is basically lost. It had been newly renovated. pic.twitter.com/3LSRSKzGNw
— Butch Dalisay (@penmanila) March 8, 2018
Netizen Chris Erwin Alquizalas pointed out that this is the third fire in the past four years at the country’s top university.
Alumni Center in July 2015.
Faculty Center in April 2016.
Now, Shopping Center in March 2018.That’s 3 major fire incidents in 4 years. UP really needs to re-evaluate the safety of every building in the campus (if it hasn’t already).
— Chris Erwin Alquizalas (@cesgalquizalas) March 8, 2018
Prior to today’s fire was the Alumni Center fire in 2015 and the Faculty Center in 2016.
Faculty member Eloi Hernandez said that she had to relive the trauma of the faculty center fire when she heard the fire sirens this morning.
“I lost 80 percent of my books there and most of my life’s work,” she said. “UP Shopping Center is gone, guys.”
The trauma is real. When I heard the sirens close to our house, my heart raced as I relived the UP Faculty Center Fire. I lost 80% of my books there and most of my life’s work. UP Shopping Center is gone, guys.
— Eloi Hernandez (@badassprof) March 8, 2018
Netizen and student @xandicheeks was more angry in her tweet, and said that instead of “continuing to reconstruct roads in UP” the administration should “work on improving our buildings and facilities.”
OUR BELOVED SHOPPING CENTER IS ON FIRE
WAKE UP CALL TO THE ADMIN– IMBIS NA PAULIT-ULIT NINYONG RINE-RECONSTRUCT YUNG MGA DAAN SA UP (plus not to mention that bloody fence sa Quezon Hall? Para saan ba? Pampaganda?) MAYBE U SHOULD WORK ON IMPROVING OUR BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES
— a l e x (@xandicheeks) March 8, 2018
with a report from ABS-CBN News
