A scheduled meeting with an Undersecretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government was cancelled but members of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry still hope to discuss with DILG the retroactive implementation of Republic Act 9514 that requires the installation of sprinkler systems in all business establishments.

MBCCI president Frank Carbon yesterday said they have been informed that DILG Usec. Austere Panadero cannot meet with the Bacolod entrepreneurs on Tuesday last week, because of an emergency that took place in Mindanao and he was with Secretary Jesse Robredo.

Carbon said they will ask for an extension of the suspension of RA 9145 that will affect the business sector and that old buildings could install fire alarm and smoke systems, instead of sprinklers.

DILG issued the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 9514 on June 14, 2009 and a moratorium on its implementation was granted until February 14 next year.

Other groups in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental opposing RA 9514 are the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Negros Occidental, Bacolod Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Negros Occidental Filipino-Chinese Amity Club Inc., Chamber of Real Estate Builders’ Association-Bacolod Chapter, Philippine Retailers Association-Bacolod Chapter and United Architects of the Philippines-Bacolod Chapter. *LTG

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