MANILA, Philippines – Netizens expressed grief over the fire that hit the University of the Philippines – Diliman Shopping Center (UP SC) on Thursday, March 8. 

According to netizens, the shopping center is more than just a building. They said  the shopping center, which houses several canteens and printing shops, serves as their go-to place for their  academic and personal needs. 

UP alumni, state scholars, and even students of neighboring schools took to social media to share their fondest memory at the shopping center, pushing the keywords “UP Shopping Center” to the top of trending topics on Twitter as of 12 pm on Thursday. 

“Today, we face yet again another tragedy with the burning of our beloved Shopping Center. With it comes not only memories of beloved times, but the livelihood of many of our members in the UP community,” the UP Student Council said in a statement posted online.  (READ: UP student regent calls for donations following UP Shopping Center fire) 

“How many more buildings must burn, and lives be worsened before action will be taken to ensure the safety of our facilities?” the student council added. 

The fire that hit the shopping center is the fourth incident at the university in a span of 3 years. 

In June 2015, a fire hit the CASAA, another iconic canteen at the university, due to a gas tank leak.  A month after, another fire burned down the Alumni Center also known as Fonacier Hal.

For UP Professor Eloi Hernandez, the fire at SC reminded her of the devastating fire that engulfed the UP Faculty Center, more than a year ago in April 2016. The Faculty Center houses the offices of at least  250 faculty members. 

The trauma is real. When I heard the sirens close to our house, my heart raced as I relived the UP Faculty Center Fire. I lost 80% of my books there and most of my life’s work. UP Shopping Center is gone, guys.

— Eloi Hernandez (@badassprof) March 8, 2018

Below are some of the tweets of netizens following the fire incident: 

Fire at UP SC – Curated tweets by MovePH

In a callout made by Rappler, netizens also shared the things they would miss about the UP Shopping Center.

Rodic’s, fruit shake sa dulong stall, ice cream malapit sa fruit shake, BE Scientific

— mlb (@mlb0010) March 8, 2018

What are your fondest memories at the UP Shopping Center? – Rappler.com