Today I have read in the ones there was AGAIN some rubbery at the Mall of Asia in the Philippines. One of my good friend with his family were there doing shopping for his lil girls when the incident happen. I am going to say in my opinion what is went wrong in this situation.
Let me quote the news article
"A band of robbers armed with guns and hammers shot it out with Philippine police inside one of the world’s largest shopping malls Sunday, sending Manila shoppers scrambling for safety, police and witnesses said.
Waves of police commandos in bullet-proof vests and helmets and armed with assault rifles stormed the SM Mall of Asia (MOA), an AFP photographer saw, after the gang entered a jeweler’s shop inside."
Question that might be running through your head:
How in the world they were able to get inside the mall? Why did their guns were able to get inside the mall?
MY Opinion:
The security in ALL malls in the Philippines is very lax they don't really check anything. They acted as if they are checking something in your bags but the truth is majority of the security don't really check anything.
The training of security in the security guard industry is really poor you can even grab the gun of that security guard.
Oh, Lastly this poor security guards are having way too low salaries imagine this they only get paid from Php 8,500.00 a month to Php 25,000.00 ($200-500). Salary sometimes get delayed and in some cases they don't even have a good life and health insurance.
The law doesn't demand that security agency should have a very strong training like the military does. And companies will hire security agency that have low price for obvious reasons that want to save up and earn more money.
MY FRIENDS story writing a letter to Mr. Henry SY the owner of SM Mall of Asia
As always, it would have been a perfect night for me and my family at your Mall of Asia kingdom. However, while looking for my daughter's feeding bottles, pajamas, swimsuit and bottle cleaner at the 3rd floor of the Department Store, we heard gunshots (2-3 shots at the most) and what followed next was a horrendous rush to the exits by shoppers like me. I thought the horde thought that I was Piolo Pascual (and they wanted to take pics and my autograph, sic!) yet, they just passed by me and my posse (Ga, Dawn, Fiona, and my two nieces Cheska and nica). Never in my wildest dream would I get see a stampede, with elderly people on wheel chairs and crutches, children of all sizes, women, men, not so men, not so women, your Sm employees scampering for any available comfort zones in that 3rd floor. Talks were that someone got assassinated at the first floor, a robbery was taking place at the 1st floor, and worst, was that BARNEY the purple dinosaur was having tantrums since it was his birthday yesterday. Not pushing my posse to the bulk of the people waiting for the elevators to open, we continued shopping and pretended everything was normal. Until, sporadic gunfire was heard (sounds of a baby M16) rattled across the department store and what happened next, was a Free-for - All stampede. it was every family, man, woman, third sex to himself/herself/self. the father instinct in me had me herd another family and asked a sales lady where their stockroom was and she led us there. that was the only place i knew it was safe for us.there were about 30 families inside, some employees. and suddenly a radio blurted out that a robbery was taking place down stairs and authorities were engaging the criminals in a shoot-out. elevators were shut down, escalators screeched to a halt, aircon was turned off and the lights were starting to blink. it was a lock down of the mall. and my eldest daughter asked me what was happening with almost tears in her eyes. i just told her that BARNEY was being chased by the people for pictures. but i knew my kid knows what was happening.
As we were huddled in the stockroom, a supervisor (or what he/she semed to be) informed us that we had to transfer to another room across the floor. WHAT? transfer and cross? i asked why, and he/
I called my boss and assured him that me and my family were ok. our IT manager called up and informed me that he and his wife were also lock downed at the Hypermart.
After 30 minutes, we were ushered to another hall. i think it was an employees hall and in one long line customers and employees mingled in one cramped hall. we learned that the authorities were chasing the robbers in the streets around MOA. we were being told to go down and yet there were news that the robbers were engaging the cops in a gunfight around MOA? OMG, another EPIC Fail. i just ignored this SM security who wanted us to go down.
After Thirty to 40 minutes of eternity, we went down and got into the car and just wanted to get the hell out of MOA. police were around the complex, traffic was heavy exiting MOA, shoppers and customers were sitting in the parking lots, sidewalks, all dumb founded and confused.
Empty-handed since we left the needed feeding bottles, we went to SM Harrison Plaza and just bought what we needed. your people over there don't even know what happened at MOA that moment. talk about coordination. sheessshh...
Now, Mr. Henry "King of the Malls" Sy, hear me out for a few minutes here. I grew up in the same neighborhood where you had your first shoe store then. I was a kid then and I bought my shoes and even met you at that store. I admired your business and the way you made it into an empire.
However, what i dont understand is why do your people, despite the numerous criminal hits at department stores, keep putting the jewelry section at the ground floor of your malls? why not put it at the third floor or beside the Ace Hardware and put on more guards, more CCTVs to your heart's content? and that's just my suggestion.
ANother thing, can you give some training to your people. it has always been said that the most important asset of a corporation/organization is it's people. the first ones to panic were SM employees. there must be standard procedures on how to deal with this kind of situations. if i was the ISO or any quality assurance firm , i'd give MOA a failing grade. you have to secure first your customers and make them safe and secure. for God's sake, it was family day yesterday. everyone had kids with them. Secure your customers. In the first place, your empire would not be what it is today without your customers.
my kids and nieces right now are traumatized with happened last night. i don't expect your people to go down and over us a trauma de-briefing. i think as a father, i can do that much better.
Mr. Sy, just assure us that the next time (heaven forbid!) an incident like this happens make sure that we, your loyal customers and clients, are safe and secured. that is the way it should and must be. it is not about money or power. SM must stand for the people. the PEOPLE placed your business where it is right now, and for you in that matter.
luckily, no one from the Palace rushed to MOA after the robbery. maybe He was more fond of the other mall.
and by the way, just like in titanic, the band played after the incident as if nothing happened. that was just the positive thing that your people did that night.
No comments:
Post a Comment