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By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

City Councilor Edna Dahino on Monday filed a resolution urging to conduct an immediate inspection to all business establishments especially on shopping malls and densely populated buildings in the city.

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In her privilege speech, Dahino even urged all government agencies like Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Office of the Building Official (OBO), City Engineering Department (CED),

Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the city government to conduct the review and immediate inspection to all thickly populated areas like malls and public markets to prevent similar incidents in Davao and Cebu City.

Councilor Teodulfo Lao, Jr., however wanted to discuss first the plans before committee level so that all operation can be planned out.

“This planned operation should be discussed first before any move should be done,” he said.

Dahino explained that the fires happened in Davao and Cebu are alarming.

“We have to draw valuable lessons into these fire incidents. We have to recognize the pressing needs how safe our shopping malls in our city. Fire safety in every mall is very important because many workers has been working here,” she pointed out.

Dahino said malls are usually visited for recreation, pass time and businesses. Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is located in the malls and in commercial establishments.

“Make sure that a BPOs worker has knowledge and information on fire exits,” she said.

She added that to answer all concern, a safety audit inspection should be made in the city.

“We will look for if the fire code safety and the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) had been implemented locally,” she added.

On December 2016, the House of Representatives has approved and transmitted OSH bill. The bill was certified as a priority bill but the Senate has yet to act on it.

The OSH bill is pushing for government’s mandatory inspection in all workplaces across the country, including those located in ecozones. It also imposes stiffer penalties on employers regarding workelated deaths and injuries. The bill sprung from a spate of tragic workplace accidents in the Philippines.

“These similar incidents can be withheld in our city,” she said.

 

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