By Rose Frejane A. Cruz
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – A fire engulfed the basement of the Maharlika Livelihood Complex with a floor area of 1,500 square meters, which lasted for eight hours before the fire was completely declared out, which started at around 9:00 a.m. on September 6 until 5:04 a.m. on September 7.
According to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who immediately went to the area to monitor the situation, he thanked all responders including fire stations from BLISTT and private entities and individuals who provided assistance in fire operations.
“Our firefighters had difficulty extinguishing the fire immediately, because the black smoke coming out of the main entrance was too thick, which means the fire is still ongoing, so they also guarded the two exit areas on both sides of the building to protect our city market from being affected,” Magalong said.
He said, “We have more than enough equipment and capabilities of our fire department, other BFPs from neighboring towns and private companies also came with equipment, to support our firemen.”
The MLC is the first mall in Baguio City managed by the Human Settlements Development Corporation (HSDC) under the Department of Agriculture (DA), and its basement area was formerly a food court, which also burned down.
The food court was not returned, instead it was rented out to nearby stalls mostly selling clothes and gadgets, and E-Bingo is also here.
According to Magalong, the firemen had great difficulty entering the basement due to the thick and dark smoke, so the firefighters used a smoke suction machine to help the firefighters.
As a result, it will be recalled that on July 16, 2025, the parking area on the third floor of Maharlika also caught fire, with the fire starting in a stall at around 1 am and being declared out at around 4:20 am.
The MLC officially turned over its management to the city government, following the expiration of its 50-year lease on April 28, 2025. A one-month extension was granted to facilitate a smooth transition. The ceremonial turnover took place on May 28, 2025, at the establishment’s lobby, with the transfer becoming effective on May 31, 2025.
