Ayala mall in Cebu closed after quake

MANILA, Philippines — Property giant Ayala Land Inc. decided on Tuesday, October 15, to close its mall in Cebu after a strong quake rocked the Visayas on Tuesday, October 15.  READ: Strong quake rocks Visayas

Citing the safety of its customers and workers, the business group said it has temporarily closed Ayala Center Cebu to further check the mall for possible damage. 

“Ayala Center Cebu will not be opening today to allow our property management to check the building further,” the business group announced on its official Facebook page.

Earlier, it said the mall will still be open “at a later time today.” It previously said that “after preliminary inspection, there was no major damage in Cebu Business Park and Cebu IT Park from today’s earthquake.”

Ayala Center Cebu is located in Cebu Business Park.

In a text message sent to Rappler, Suzette Naval, Ayala Land Corporate Communications Manager, relayed that they are “still monitoring the situation.” She said she could not provide other details.

In a National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) briefing Tuesday, officials mentioned that a “portion of Ayala Center Cebu” was affected by the quake.

Three major bridges, several century-old churches and major roads were among those damaged after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit the region. READ: Century-old churches, bridges damaged by quake

Among those damaged was the famous Loboc church in the town of Loboc, Bohol while portions of Sto Nino Basilica in Cebu is also said to have cracks. 

Transportation facilities have also been damaged. The ceiling of the airport terminal in Tagbilaran, Bohol collapsed, limiting operations. A crack along the Mactan-Cebu was also reported but it has been cleared to allow operations. – Rappler.com