MARIVELES, Bataan — The three-storey Chuzon Supermarket here was in full operation Wednesday, with local authorities saying there was no closure order yet as result of the collapse of Chuzon in Porac, Pampanga due to Monday’s quake.
“Wala pang order sa amin for closure. Wala pang order na dumating sa amin kaya hindi pa ini-inspection ng Licensing Office namin,” Mariveles municipal treasurer Erwin Villapando said.
He said that Chuzon Supermarket Corp. renewed its Business Permit on February 2019. Chuzon secured its first Business/Mayor’s Permit and started operating in Barangay San Isidro in Mariveles on March 28, 2016.
Some customers said that they were afraid of the earthquake that hit Bataan Monday afternoon but not of shopping in Chuzon–Mariveles.
“Iba naman siguro ang gumawa doon sa Porac kesa gumawa ito,” shopper Irene Garcia said.
“Bakit matatakot eh tagarito kami,” another customer, Corazon Abad, said. She said she has been shopping in the supermarket since it started operating.
Mariveles municipal engineer Ildefonso Tarriela, Jr. said they conducted a major inspection of the supermarket Wednesday morning and found only minor cracks on the walls.
“Hindi namin alam kung due to earthquake ang mga minor cracks. Hindi structural dahil walls lang ang may crack. Kapag sa walls ang crack, maaaring dahil lang sa sobrang init kaya nagkaroon ng defect,” the engineer said.
He said no one could say if the cracks were already there before the earthquake or were caused by Monday’s tremor.
“Nakita ng inspectorate team na minor defects lang. Ang plastering nagkaroon ng cracks pero irerekomenda ko pa rin na pa-inspect sa mga espesyalita, sa mga structural engineers to determine kung structurally safe ang building,” Tarriela said.
He said that although they are civil engineers, only structural engineers can determine if the building is structurally safe.
Engr. Krystel Ferrer, a member of the inspection team, said that based on what they saw on the supermarket, there were only minimal cracks on the walls. “Hindi major defect, hindi structural. Hindi cause para isara ang building,” she said.
Chuzon-Mariveles is a three-storey building with the first two floors occupied by the supermarket and the third as dormitory for workers.
The Mariveles engineering office said the building was already with three floors since it started operating.
