EMPLOYEES of a department store inside a prominent mall went to social media to air their ventilation problem for the past six months.
In a Facebook video uploaded by Archie Osnan on Friday, September 6, a group of employees of Victoria Department Store can be seen simultaneously reciting their sentiments to the management of the New City Commercial Center (NCCC) to address their situation after some of the employees are getting sick because of the non-functioning air conditioners inside the department store.
“Buot namong manawagan sa management sa NCCC Mall-VP na unta tagaan ninyo ug (og) pag-tagad ang amoang kahimtang karon diri sa sulod sa mall (We are calling the management of the NCCC Mall-VP to take action of our current situation here inside the mall),” they said in the video.
They said they are aware of the management’s plan to replace all air-conditioned units inside the mall as the “most efficient and effective way” to address the problem in the entire mall.
But they said they are asking the management to provide temporary solution to address their exhausting situation inside the department store.
“Dili na jud (gyud) maantos na tanan aircon sa sulod sa department store guba. Nagasakit na ang kadaghanan kanamo diri (We can no longer handle having all air conditioners inside the mall defective. Some of our fellow employees are getting sick because of the absence of a ventilation system),” the employees said.
They also said they do not want to resign because they have families to feed and send to school.
The employees hope the NCCC management would address the problem soonest.
Department store employee Vilma Alcain Pontanosa commented on the viral video that the Victoria Department Store management earlier provided air cooler and electric fans, and “vitamins” to the employees.
“Sadyang wala lang po talaga sa kamay ng management ang aircon ng buong department store at buong mall (The management has no control on the air condition of the department store and the entire mall),” Pontanosa said.
As of Saturday, the video has now more than 20,000 views and 808 shares.
NCCC, in a forwarded statement to SunStar Davao, said the mall already has poor air-conditioning system prior to the management’s acquisition last March 27 this year.
“VP’s air conditioning system was functioning on minimum status due to its ineffective and inefficient operation, compressor units were already subjected for repairs and rehabilitation for the past several years,” NCCC said in a statement.
The management added, “Upon assessment, the Packaged Air Conditioning Units (Pacu) were already ineffective and unproductive to provide more efficiency for the Mall’s air conditioning system comfort cooling operation. It did not meet the required standards of Pacu and was already too old and irreparable and running at a very poor efficiency resulting to high-energy consumption”.
NCCC, meanwhile, said they understand the inconvenience of both employees and shoppers are experiencing and they already started the repair and improvement of the mall’s mechanical, electrical, and plumbing facilities.
“We are continuously working to improve the condition of the mall and lessen the inconvenience to our customers more so to our tenants and employees,” the management said.
In a previous interview, NCCC president Sharlene Faye A. Lim said the Victoria Department Store is still under the management of the Southwood Mindanao Corporation.
Lim said during the formal takeover of the mall that they had only acquired the supermarket. She, however, did not disclose when they will be formally acquiring the department store.