THE occupants of Juanita Building on Gorordo Ave. will have to wait a few more days before they can get their valuables and office equipment inside the damaged structure.
Architect Florante Catalan, Office of the Building Official (OBO) head, said there is no advice yet when the tenants can enter the building to retrieve their things due to safety concerns.
Catalan said OBO personnel already inspected Juanita Building but he also advised the developer of the adjacent condominium project development undertaking excavation work, Vista Residences Inc., its contractor IPM Construction and Development Corp. and subcontractor Corrtech Inc. to check the building to determine if it is safe or not for the occupants to go back.
“There is no advice yet because according to them, the area is not safe,” said Catalan.
During his meeting with the developer and its contractors on Thursday afternoon, Aug. 8, 2019, Catalan said the parties agreed to put up additional anchors, which will stabilize the slope protection works along the area of Juanita Bldg. affected by the cave-in, as well as the adjacent building.
Vista Residences and its contractor also promised to work on mitigating measures on the affected area as soon as possible.
He said the contractors can continue working on the 26-floor Vista Suarez Cebu condotel project once the mitigating measures are completed.
For now, the excavation and civil works are still suspended.
Several businesses inside Juanita Building have been affected after a portion of the excavation site for the condotel project collapsed on Monday dawn, Aug. 5, causing a portion of the building to cave-in.
These include a travel agency, a branch of the Philippine National Bank, a dialysis center and a business process outsourcing firm.
The affected business owners were forced to look for another location where they can continue their operations.
The six personnel of the bank had to be transferred to other branches while the bank’s security guards were instructed to stay and secure the bank as there are important documents left inside the building.