Learning from Two Serendra

It is unfortunate that two reputable companies like land developer Ayala Land (which owns Alveo Land, owner of Two Serendra) and Pilipinas Shell (which partially owns Bonifacio Gas Corp., a Two Serendra contractor) are caught in a controversial LPG accident.

Somewhere along the line leading to the death of the last blast victim, there seems to be some disconnect about the sequence of events, who (and what) is to blame, and more importantly, the measure of culpability that should arise from a thorough and impartial investigation.

The explosion at the Two Serendra unit more than a month ago instantly killed three appliance store employees aboard a passing delivery truck when the wall of the 5th floor apartment fell to the ground and crushed to death the immediate victims. Several others were also hurt by the incident.

After the blast, investigations commenced. However, just how thorough the investigations are, or how credible they are is still a big question. To date, there is no one group (or individual) that is leading and sustaining the inquiry.

From Ayala’s earlier statements, ongoing investigations are being conducted by the nebulous entity called “government.” This may mean a number of agencies, but who really is leading it? Is it still Mar Roxas? No one really knows for sure – well, except Ayala Land, I guess.

Ayala has moved all the Two Serendra occupants to alternative temporary homes until “government” gives its go-signal for the resident owners to come back. This, after the announcement by Serendra, that the piped-in LPG system in the complex would be temporarily closed.

As reported in the media, the latest news is that Ayala is closing the LPG piped-in system in all the Serendra units.

Concerns on LPG

In all probability, the explosion that had paralyzed this multi-million peso Ayala high-rise residential project was caused by LPG. But the cause is something that a good sleuth, albeit one who is technically competent, should be able to figure out.

After all, the use of centralized LPG in homes, even for multi-level projects, has been around for decades. Time and time again, centralized LPG has been proven a safe system as long as proper procedures are observed and world safety standards are abided by.

Thus, it’s unfair that there are references to “China-made” pipes being the culprit in this gas accident when there are really no concrete findings yet. Just as the corporate reputation of such big companies as Ayala and Shell are maliciously maligned without any real basis.

For sure, the country needs a good law that defines the state-of-the-art standards for handling LPG including storage, transport, refilling, distribution, and use. Again, this should not be too difficult since almost all countries have one.

Transparency

For now, it is important that the investigations involving the whole incident is completed, and a competent report that factually details the events leading to the explosion and a thorough evaluation of the standards used by Ayala and the gas contractor in the building in the constructed be bared.

Equally important is the need to know the procedures issued and implemented by Serendra to unit owners with regards the handling and use of LPG in their respective units, and if there had been any deviations leading to the fatal incident.

All these have to be completed at the earliest time possible so that speculations, especially those that wrongfully damage reputations, are resolved.

We don’t want to add fuel to the already strained Philippine-China relationships by wrongly accusing China-made pipes as the cause for the loss of lives and extensive damages. Neither do we want to crucify companies like Ayala and Shell if they had really been compliant with regulations.

More importantly, we do not want to see people unfairly discounting LPG use for high-rise housing, or even discouraging buying a condominium unit because of the specter of similar LPG-related explosions.

As proven in countless residential projects around the world that use centralized LPG systems, LPG is a cooking and heating fuel that is safe and economical to use. In the Philippines where electricity is the only alternative, we just have to make LPG use work to our best advantage.

Going high-rise

Two Serendra should be an opportunity for the country to learn how to deal with LPG use for high-rise condominium units since this will the irrevocable trend in the coming years, more so for low- and middle-income earners.

Especially in urban areas, owning or leasing a condominium unit will become the choice alternative of families and individuals who derive their salaries from businesses found in the city. And as the economy improves, these young families and professionals will have higher salaries that will allow them to buy condominium units.

It is the role of government to ensure that its citizens are protected as they go through the many phases of modernization. And finding out what can be learned from Two Serendra, and how this can be applied in current rules and regulations, should be their topmost concern.

“The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors.” – Thomas Jefferson

Journey to 2013 National Collegiate Championship

Teams in the ongoing competitions in the UAAP and NCAA are scrambling to reach the Final Four phase in their respective “mother leagues.” Being in the Final Four gives the teams a strong chance to grab the coveted league champion title.

As additional incentive, the members of the Final Four in the UAAP and NCAA leagues are automatically qualified in the round of 16 step-ladder phase of the champions League (PCCL) 2013 National Collegiate Championship.

In the weeks ahead collegiate teams in provinces will start their “mother league” tournaments to determine the champion teams that will represent their league in the regional conferences where the winners will advance to the Round 16 step-ladder stage of the 2013 National Collegiate Championship.

For more details, visit www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net, official site of Champions League (PCCL).

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Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.