MAJOR mall operators in the country said they have conducted safety checks to ensure the safety of their customers following the magnitude 6.1 earthquake that hit parts of Luzon Monday afternoon.
SM Prime Holdings, Inc. said its shopping malls did not suffer any major impact during the earthquake.
“I think we’re quite okay…We didn’t have much except for some plaster cracks or popping up of tiles. These are learning curves that we will have to start doing better research on. Outside of that, we stood up quite well,” SM Prime Executive Committee Chairman Hans T. Sy said in a briefing after the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Pasay City yesterday.
Mr. Sy noted that their emergency response teams were able to manage and control the evacuation efforts for their customers during the incident.
Ayala Land, Inc. said they continue to monitor their malls’ conditions after the earthquake.
“AyalaMalls continue to conduct preventive maintenance and regular inspections on the structural condition of the building as well as all utilities. This is complemented with various drills conducted regularly to prepare and train both our personnel and merchant partners,” Ayala Malls Operations Head for Luzon Charmaine Bauzon said in a text message.
Ms. Bauzon also said they shut down all facilities and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in affected malls immediately after the incident.
Megaworld Corp., meanwhile, said they were watching the structural safety of their properties and no major damages were seen.
“There are no reported major damage in any of our properties. We remain diligent in ensuring the structural safety and integrity of all our developments, including our construction sites,” Megaworld Senior Assistant Vice-President for Public Relations Harold Brian C. Geronimo said via text.
Robinsons Land Corp. suspended operations of Robinsons Place Angeles in Pampanga, the province which sustained the most damage, to give way for property inspections before reopening. It also closed Robinsons Place Tacloban and Robinsons North Tacloban at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, after a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the Visayas region. — Arra B. Francia
