The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has confirmed that no important documents related to the ongoing flood control investigation were lost in the fire that broke out earlier today at the Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) building in Quezon City. However, the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) made a remark that perhaps 1% of documents related to flood control might have been involved in the incident.
Following this, the DPWH clarified in a statement that no documents related to the flood control investigation were affected. DPWH Bureau of Research and Standards Director IV, Juliana Vergara, also explained in an interview that the damaged documents were mainly reports related to the regular validation of materials, including calibration reports from various regions and district offices. She clarified, “Wala pong document pertaining to the issues na yung pong pinag uusapan ngayon na naapektuhan po dahil kami po ay nagko-contact ng research.”
The DPWH assured the public that no employees were harmed during the fire, and the situation was quickly contained by firefighters. An investigation team has already been deployed to assess the damage and determine the full extent of the incident. They are also exploring measures to prevent similar events in the future.
The DPWH emphasized that the ongoing flood control investigation and other critical operations were not disrupted by the fire. The Bureau of Research and Standards, which handles research, testing, and policy development for public infrastructure projects, continues to operate despite the incident.
