By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) has suspended indefinitely both SSI Davao and NCCC as registered call center and economic zone developer, respectively, following a fire that killed 37 agents.
PEZA Director-General Charito B. Plaza issued the order on Friday.
“The direction is to suspend all SSI operations and expansions outside of Mactan,” said Plaza.
SSI was first registered by PEZA as BPO operator in Mactan Economic Zone Authority in 2003. SSI Mactan has always been compliant with the annual fire safety requirements inspection of PEZA.
According to Plaza, the American-owned SSI, has been non-compliant with its fire safety requirement since 2013 and as such were not issued fire safety certificate by PEZA.
But the company continued its Davao operation occupying one floor of the NCCC Mall as it had been issued business permit, including Mayor’s permit, by the local government of Davao.
SSI Davao was registered by PEZA in 2008. In that same year, NCC was also approved by PEZA as an ecozone developer for its IT Building where SSI was a locator.
SSI had been compliant with the annual fire safety requirements of PEZA until 2013.
Since 2013, SSI Davao has not been issued the fire safety inspection certificate by PEZA for its failure to comply the basic preventive tests for fire safety alarm and detection, fire drills, exits and evacuation drills.
But SSI Davao had secured business permit from the local government of Davao, which also comes with fire safety permit.
As of October 2017, SSI Davao employs 494 people. It has 1,278 workers at its Mactan site.
PEZA is now working on a memorandum of agreement with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).