BUILDING owners in Cebu City will be required to have their structures examined by third party auditors or else their permits won’t be renewed by City Hall.
The Cebu City Council passed a resolution calling on the Office of the Building Official (OBO) not to recommend the renewal of business permits of building owners whose structures weren’t certified by a third party auditor or consultant.
Councilor Roberto Cabarrubias, the sponsor, said the structural stability of the building including its wiring, plumbing and fire protection designs should be thoroughly examined to ensure the safety of its occupants.
The resolution stems from the June 15 incident in Ayala Center Cebu where part of the ceiling of its new Cinema 5 collapsed under the weight of accumulated water from its sprinkler system.
At least six people were injured during the event, an exclusive launch of a BPO firm.
Cabarrubias said the public needs to know what caused the mishap so the mall can take steps to prevent a similar incident in the future.”
Cabarrubias heads the council’s committee on infrastructure.
The council scheduled an executive session on July 8 with the Ayala Center Cebu management to discuss the incident along with the people responsible for the sprinkler system.
Cabarrubias said last Tuesday’s meeting with technical people could not produce a conclusive report until technical inputs are provided by the management and its contractors.
The mall submitted an initial incident report.
The one-week deadline given by the Cebu City government for Ayala’s full report on the incident ended yesterday.