Manor Hotel fire

The Manor Hotel fire was a fire at the Manor Hotel in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines on August 18, 2001. With a death toll of 74, it is considered to be the second worst structural fire in Philippine history, tied with the 2015 Kentex slipper factory fire and only behind the Ozone Disco fire in 1996.^[b][5]

Manor Hotel fire

Date	August 18, 2001 (2001-08-18)
Time	4:00 – 6:30 a.m. (UTC+08:00)
Location	Quezon City, Philippines
Coordinates	14°38′03.7″N 121°03′27.3″E
Type	Fire
Deaths	74[a]

Building

The Manor Hotel occupied a six-storey concrete building^[6] along Kamias Road in Quezon City, Metro Manila.^[1] According to local authorities it was built around the late 1970s and could have been previously affected by an earlier fire. At the time of the fire, the building had no windows at the rear and other windows were blocked by white iron bars, which was a common anti-burglary feature. Its fire exits were also obstructed.^[6] The first two floors from the ground were used as office spaces.^[7]

Fire

The Manor Hotel fire occurred on August 18, 2001, at around 4:00 am.^[8][9] A security guard at an adjacent building fired three warning shots after he saw smoke coming out of an exhaust fan from the Manor Hotel at 3:50 am after which he heard an explosion.^[7] At that time, there were 236 registered guests. 172 of them were taking part in the three-day Destiny Conference Crusade by the Don Clowers Ministries, an American evangelical group based in Irving, Texas.^[1][10][11]

The third and fourth floors were the only part of the Manor Hotel building directly affected by fire but smoke reached the upper floors, which led to fatalities. According to Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr., the fire may have started in a restaurant and karaoke bar on the third floor. Initial reports also suggest it may have started from the overheating of an air-conditioning unit.^[7] An alternate theory suggested that there was a short circuit in the ceiling of a third floor stockroom.^[10]

Firefighters attempted to save trapped occupants by sawing the iron bars in the hotel room's windows.^[7] Many of the guests huddled in their bathrooms. Two jumped off from the building and survived.^[12]

The fire was put out at around 6:30 am.^[7]

Victims

74 died in the incident; 62 of which died on site.^[a] At least one body was found to be charred but investigators concluded most victims died due to asphyxiation or smoke inhalation.^[12][13] None of the American attendees to the Don Clowers conference were among the casualties,^[10] and all victims were Filipino nationals.^[12] The injured were rushed to different hospitals namely the East Avenue Medical Center, the Quirino Memorial and Medical Center, the Lung Center of the Philippines, the Quezon City Medical Center, the Quezon City General Hospital, and the Victoriano Luna General Hospital.^[14]

Aftermath

The former Manor Hotel building (right). 2016

External videos
Memorial service for those killed in Hotel Manor fire
Philippines Memorial from the Associated Press Archive

The Manor Hotel fire is the deadliest hotel fire in Philippine history, and the country's second-worst fire of any kind after the Ozone Disco fire of 1996 which killed around 160 people.^[15] The Christian conference attended by 8,000 people at the Araneta Coliseum on August 18 dedicated their service to the victims and families of the fire.^[14] President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered an investigation of the fire^[13] and also personally visited the survivors of the fire.^[16]

Quezon City fire marshal Ricardo Lemence was removed from his position by Interior Secretary Joey Lina shortly after the fire.^[17] Charges were filed against multiple Manor Hotel and Quezon City government officials.^[2]

2019 convictions

Four Quezon City government officials and five Manor Hotel officers were convicted of charges in relation to the 2001 fire on March 29, 2019, by the Sandiganbayan's Seventh Division.^[3][18] The decision was upheld on September 3, 2019.^[19] The following were charged:^[3]

Person	Position	Conviction	Sentence	Notes
Alfredo Macapugay	Quezon City Building Official	Three counts of graft	Imprisonment of six years and one month up to ten years for each count; Perpetual disqualification from holding public office	For allowing the hotel to operate without the necessary permits. The two were found to have allowed the hotel to accept guests despite receiving a recommendation by the Bureau of Fire Protection to close the establishment for violating the National Building Code and the Fire Code of the Philippines.
Romeo Montallana	Quezon City Electrical Division Chief
Romualdo Santos	City Engineer V	Two counts of graft	Imprisonment of six years and one month up to ten years for each count
Gerardo Villasenor	Electrical Inspector
William Genato	Manor Hotel owner
Rebecca Genato	Manor Hotel president
Marion Fernandez	Manor Hotel incorporator
Dionisio Arengino
Candelaria Arandor	Manor Hotel manager

Notes

1. The initial tally was reported to be 75 deaths. However the Quezon City government on August 20 clarified that the tally only records 70 deaths resulting from the fire.^[1] By August 24, the tally increased to 73 deaths.^[2] However, reports from 2019 state that the final death toll from the fire stood at 74.^[3][4]
2. If terrorist attacks would be included, the 2004 bombing of MV SuperFerry 14 – which killed 116 people – would be the second-deadliest fire in Philippine history.