A fire gutted the University of the Philippines (UP) Shopping Center (SC) in Diliman, Quezon City, on Thursday morning.
The fire, which reached second-alarm status at 7:36 a.m., was contained by Bureau of Fire Protection personnel before 9 a.m. The blaze engulfed the whole shopping center, or SC as fondly called by UP students and alumni.
The SC, which was built in the 1940s, houses photocopying stalls, a bookstore, souvenir shops and several restaurants, including the iconic and popular Rodic’s Diner.
Stall owners, students and alumni were saddened by the fire incident.
A number of stall owners were crying as they were trying to save photocopy machines and other merchandise.
One of the concessionaires cried upon learning that all her goods have turned into dust.
“We invested in that; we worked hard to invest in that. We’re persevering, then we’ll see now that it’s already on fire, there’s nothing we can do,” she said.
Students and alumni continue to express their “feeling of loss” via tweets online.
An alumnus tweeted it is like losing a loved one, and all good memories that have shaped their lives. According to @charmanalo, “It feels like an old friend suddenly passed away. thank you, UP Shopping Center. You served the community well for decades.”
Authorities have yet to confirm the cause of the fire and the estimated cost of damage.