Guest affirms hotel did not collapse, damage caused by tree branch

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

After an incident involving the Mambukal Convention Center and Hotel earlier this week, Negros Occidental Vice Governor Eugenio Lacson yesterday said the Negros Occidental provincial government must assure the public of the hotel’s structural credibility.

The vice governor said he visited the facility at the provincial government-operated Mambukal Mountain Resort in Murcia to observe the damage himself, noting, the area had already been cleared but was told by workers the roof of kitchen area collapsed, causing damage.

“I hope it is only the kitchen area [that] has a defect and not the whole building,” Lacson said.

He also suggested a third party, such as the local architects’ group, could inspect the damage and the resort’s structural integrity.

Lacson’s information was further corroborated by a resort guests, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, stating, the hotel did not collapse as the damage was caused by a tree branch measuring about 70 to 80 square meters hitting the building’s parapet, or the extension of a wall along the edge of a roof, and its roofing.

The said damage did not affect the structural design of the hotel as it is located at the back of the building.

The area of the building measures 3,300 square meters.

Meanwhile, Lacson said construction of the hotel is almost complete and has yet to be turned over by the contractor, Alfies Construction.

However, after Lacson noticed the contractor used chicken wire as barriers for the balconies, he called in the contractor to correct it, saying it was “inappropriate for a convention center.”

They should have used pipes instead of chicken wires, the vice governor added.

Lacson also called on Provincial Engineer Ernie Mapa to inform the public of what really happened, and to submit a copy of his report to Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. and the provincial board./DGB, WDJ