The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has clarified that no documents related to flood control projects were stored in the Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) building in Quezon City that caught fire last week.
The BRS serves as the DPWH’s research and policy arm, conducting studies, pilot testing, and formulating standards for government infrastructure projects.
In a statement, the DPWH said initial findings indicated that the blaze originated from a computer unit inside the Materials Testing Division that reportedly exploded. The agency also confirmed that no employees were injured.
“An investigation team to assess the fire incident has been deployed and is currently conducting a thorough assessment to determine the full extent of the damage and to prevent similar incidents in the future,” the statement read.
According to the Bureau of Fire Protection–National Capital Region (BFP-NCR), the fire at the DPWH office along NIA Road, Barangay Pinyahan, was reported at 12:39 p.m., reached the third alarm, and was declared under control by 1:34 p.m. before being extinguished at 1:49 p.m.
During a Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights hearing, DPWH Assistant Secretary Melody Villar said most of the records affected by the fire were already digitized and safely stored in the agency’s central database.
“It is the regional office of DPWH-4B and serves as a testing site for materials like cement and steel. While some physical records were housed there, most have been uploaded to the central office database,” Villar said.
The Senate hearing was discussing Senate Bill No. 1215, which seeks to create the Independent People’s Commission (IPC) amid the ongoing flood control controversy.
Meanwhile, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has ordered a separate investigation into the fire incident.
“The Ombudsman has directed immediate coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Fire Protection to determine the cause of the fire and to establish whether arson or any deliberate act was committed,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said in a statement.