UP Diliman's Shopping Center raged by fire

Jamie Hernandez

University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman Shopping Center is a wellknown landmark around the campus that provides the need of the students was set on fire on Thursday morning, March 8.

According to Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) the one-story building has 48 stalls and was destroyed by a fire with estimated P500,000 damage.

Furthermore, a security guard said that he saw smokes coming from the ceiling of the building, making the investigators to see the faulty electrical installation as the poible cause for the fire.

(Photo Courtesy: @JohnJacobAng on Twitter)

Hence, UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan said on an interview with Philippine Daily Inquirer that the campus is compliant with fire safety laws and that it was subject to a regular inspections.

“We are compliant, especially for the Shopping Center. We could not take chances because of the high traffic of students here,” Tan said.

Also, no one was reported injured and the fire was put out by 8:53 a.m.

Considering that the Shopping Center is one of the oldest building around UP Diliman, some of the stall owners like Aida Danabar who worked at the Blessings photocopying stall for 15 years and Thelma Tecson, a thirdgeneration owner of Rodic’s Diner --- a famous restaurant around the campus, recalled the memories they had with the Shopping Center and how it helped them in their life.

“This branch is like going down memory lane. We have alumni who are already directors, secretaries of departments; they come, they eat because it’s their nostalgia moment,” Tecson said on Inquirer.

Some of the UP students and alumni also shared their grief and frustration on social media.