if on mobile device: click “Listen in browser” on the soundcloud pod below to play… things we lost in the fire…
Statement
of Chancellor Michael L. Tan, DVM, PhD University of the Philippines Diliman March 9, 2018
“There was a fire yesterday at the UP Shopping Center (SC) that started around 7 am, with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) declaring fire out at 8:54 am.
“Thanks to the quick responses of the BFP, and UP Diliman’s security, maintenance and various service offices, there were no injuries or casualties. The fire was kept within the SC even as our agencies secured a nearby dorm and shops, UP’s Accounting, Budget and Cash offices, and two banks. People were evacuated and crowd control was fairly successful.
“The damage was extensive, affecting 48 concessionaires providing the UP community with many essential services such as photocopying, food, groceries, and grooming, among others. The SC was built in 1970, and had just been renovated last year.
“As the BFP conducts an investigation into the cause of the fire, we are working to immediately relocate the concessionaires, especially those providing essential services. An emergency meeting was convened that same morning with the deans, directors and the Student Council to find both short-term and long-term solutions to the problems. The emphasis was on further strengthening disaster responses. Student concerns around their books, term papers and theses being burned in the fire are being addressed.
“Another meeting was held with the UP President, Danilo Concepcion, who assured full support for rehabilitation.
“Administrators then met with all the concessionaires to work out relocation plans and to recover whatever can be salvaged.
” UP Diliman grieves the loss of an iconic structure. We will keep the public informed of new developments.”
The U.P. Shopping Center burned down this morning when the stalls in the middle portion started to blaze at about 7:15am (time according to the Philippine Collegian) . Most of the stores inside were still closed when the spark broke out. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
The U.P Shopping Center structure itself has been declared “condemned” by the U.P Office of the Campus Architect in the early 1990s. The UP Diliman administration then tried to rebuild the structure by temporarily re-settling the tenants legally thru court actions but the tenants resisted and used their resources to get a TRO and an injunction from the Court of Appeals.
UP Shopping Center bustled with business housing eateries like the iconic Rodic’s, many photocopying stalls, internet shops, and the well-known UP Maroons store — home of U.P. official T-shirts, the sablay graduation garb, and memorabilia.
Arwen of the University of the Philippines Pep Squad UP Pep Squad, este, er, U.P. Pup Squad, joins the fight for a free and independent press … 
