The Office of the Bureau of Fire Protection in Region 6 inspected several buildings in Bacolod City to check their compliance with RA 9514, or the Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008 that requires the installation of sprinkler systems.

The inspection group included Fire Chief Insp. Bartolome Biliran, Insp. Hercules Barniso and Senior Fire Officer 1 Arnel Benitua who checked Philippine National Bank building at Lacson Street, which the BFP declared as a fire hazard last year.

Bacolod BFP deputy fire marshal, Insp. Publio Ploteña said that they re-inspected the PNB building on instructions of BFP Region 6 Direcyor Senior Supt. Eleuterio Iturriaga.

Ploteña said that, so far, the bank management has applied for alternative remedial measures to correct the violations noted by the fire inspectors last year.

The BFP also inspected the UniCity and the Plazamart mall at the downtown area of Bacolod and the Luxur Place Hotel at Magsaysay Avenue to see if they have installed sprinkler systems.

Ploteña said the managements of these establishments have started installing sprinklers in their edifices.

Seven business groups in Bacolod City called on President Benigno Aquino III last month seeking to stop the retroactive implementation of RA 9514 that they said will cause local businesses to die.

The Department of Interior and Local Government has set a moratorium on the implementation of RA9514 on February 14 next year.

Ploteña said, however, establishments management should start installing sprinkler systems before the moratorium to avoid penalties.

Meanwhile, more dormitories and boarding houses were found to have violated the fire code during the inspections.

Chief Insp. Pamela Rojane Candido said last week that some of the boarding houses and dormitories they inspected lack fire fighting apparatus while others have equipment that are no longer functioning.

There were also dormitories and boarding houses that do not have easy access to fire exits and have no sprinkler systems. She said they will issue notices of violations to the owners so they can correct their lapses or they will be fined not less than P50,000.*APN

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