MANILA, Philippines – Almost 6 weeks after the Two Serendra gas explosion that killed 4, unit owners at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig are now required by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to self-inspect their gas systems.

On Wednesday, July 10, the BFP consulted with residents, building owners, and Bonifacio Gas Corp – the sole provider of piped-in gas in Bonifacio Global City. The BFP said it would hand out a checklist for inspection throughout the week.

According to BFP office-in-charge Carlito Romero, the checklist is designed so that if there was one “yes” answer to the questions on the list, it automatically means there was something wrong with the system.

He said that when conducting inspections, owners and tenants must be accompanied by technicians who can vouch for them that their gas system was indeed inspected and is safe. Unit owners would then need to report their findings to their building administrators.

Romero also reminded residents not to use mobile phones during inspection.

Romero urged residents to do their part in ensuring safety, which he called a “shared responsibility and interest.”

The BFP plans to collect the initial checklist and has urged residents and building owners to write down their comments, so the BFP can further improve and refine the checklist.

Based on the comments, they will issue directives. LPG users have until July 26 to submit their comments, before the BFP culls them and issues guidelines based on the comments.

Taguig City administrator Joel Montrales said after the directives are issued, there will be inspections every 3 months.

The mandatory assessment is a result of the May 31 explosion caused by an LPG leak. The source of the leak has yet to be determined.

Read: Serendra revisted: Facts, more questions

Further investigation also found a lack of safety regulations in Taguig relating to gas, which led to the required inspections and mandatory gas detectors for LPG users. Serendra, meanwhile, has decided to shut off its LPG system permanently. – Rappler.com