Fire guts Ororama MegaCenter leaving many jobless, millions in capital loss

October 29, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

A fire gutted down the largest of all Ororama chain stores in Cagayan de Oro yesterday affecting hundreds of workers jobless and the loss of not just the Ororama department store and supermarket, but also, over 35 tenant stores that it housed.The records at the regional office of the Bureau of Fire and Protection showed that the call that the Ororama MegaCenter at Barangay Lapasan this city made around 12.45 earnly morning yesterday.
The BFP-10 as well as the firetrucks and fire volunteers from the Cagayan de Oro Filipino-Chinese Volunteer group, Gaisano, Limketkai, Graphics All-in-Store among others immediately rushed to the put down the fire. The fire reportedly started at the top-level of the four-storey building particularly at the stockroom area.
But more than 12 hours have already passed or at around 12:30 noon yesterday, BFP-10 fire officer Rey Facturan admitted that they were still trying to totally make sure that the entire huge building is safe.
He said the smoke is still trapped and that they are still trying to reach the second and ground floor areas of the huge box-like building.
He added that they could not as yet determine as to what actually caused the fire to start and to confirm estimates that 85 to 95 percent of the entire establishment has been affected by the fire as their fire investigators are still working in resolving these issues.
Still, former Lapasan barangay chairpersona now City Councilor Teodulfo Lao deeply lamented how hundreds of workers employed by the Ororama MegaCenter and the tenant stores inside the mall may now be jobless.
“Dako kaayo nga kasubo namo kining nahitabo,” he said.
According to Ororama’s website www.ororama.com, the following were among their tenant stores are Anon’s Lechon, Bagong Lipunan Restaurant, Botoy’s Lechon Manok, De Oro Therapeutic Medicine, Digitel Mobile Phils. Inc, Dunkin Donuts, Footprints Awards Centrum, G&G General Merchandise, Globe Telecom. Graphics Lights & Design, Hapit Anay Garden, Jollibee,. JRJ Fried Chicken, La Ilongga and LBC Express Inc.,
Also, Liberty Land Corp., Meal In a Box. Modtrade, Dunkin Donuts, Mombone’s Haven, Nature’s Bread. Nexgen Internet, Ornamental Plants by Gloria Pamin. Pure Pearl, RCPI, Rhojean Mega Salon, Sr. Pedro Lechon Manok, St. Jude Optical, Super Styles, Takuyaki Balls, Techmo Corp., Telesource Marketing, WG&A Ticket Outlet and Wrijoren.
Ororama, Inc. is owned by See Hong who together with other local Filipino-Chinese businessmen started out the pioneering companies which set the malling trend in the city as early as June 6, 1969.
There are three Ororama branches each one located in Cogon, Carmen, and Lapasan. The Ororama Cogon Branch already went through two fire incidences in the past while this is the first for the Ororama MegaCenter, the flagship of all the Ororama chain of stores.

Written by admin · Filed Under Cagayan de Oro