THE 29-storey Olympic Tower 3 in Eastwood, Quezon City is far from what Megaworld touted as “haven for senior citizens,” according to the unit owners who assailed the developer’s indifference and lack of humanity.
The unit owners particularly took a swipe at Megaword, which according to them should be made liable for the June 18 fire incident that gutted the posh condominium building, even as they claimed negligence on the part of the developer.
The affected fire victims took to Facebook and other social media platforms to air their sufferings during the fire and the heroism shown by firefighters, concerned citizens, yet not a squeak from the developer to date.
According to Dwight Santos who owns a unit at the 24th floor, Megaworld was remiss in conducting inspections of the fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers, sprinklers and fire exit vents which could have spewed the smoke out of the building.
Santos recounted how the smoke from below reached even the topmost 29th floor where many senior citizens spent their retirement funds on the wrong notion that the investment was worth every dime.
“Neighbors (outside the tower) were the ones who responded, called the fire stations and volunteer fire brigades, even helping identify which floors had trapped tenants. They also donated food and drinking water to us,” unit owner Carlo Ople narrated in his vlog.
He said the entire tower was so dark and slippery such that some residents carrying the elderly even without face masks, fell and injured themselves aside from choking from the thick black smoke.
Scores were rushed and remains billeted inside the intensive care units of hospitals where they were diagnosed of lung and heart complications. Still no word from Megaworld or the building administration, he added.
A statement presenting a chronology of the actual incident was posted by Bulgar on Facebook that was submitted to it by the “displaced and affected residents” of Olympic Heights Tower 3 in Eastwood City.
The statement was a comprehensive narration of the harrowing events and institutional negligence surrounding the devastating fire at 6 a.m. of June 18, 2026. The statement paints a clear picture of systemic failure, from pre-incident infrastructure neglect to a complete breakdown of rescue and administrative support in the aftermath.
6:44 a.m. – Fire ignited, but the automated central FDAS failed entirely to activate building-wide. Connected Tower 1 received zero crossover alerts.
6:45 a.m. – The building’s roof deck exhaust fan structurally failed and exploded. Instead of venting smoke, it trapped toxic gases inside, turning the emergency stairwells into a suffocating chimney of acidic, black smoke.
6:46 a.m. – A resident on the 10th floor discovered the smoke-logged hallway and manually pulled the fire station lever to trigger local sirens, exposing the total failure of the automated grid.
7:27 a.m. – A 911 dispatch incorrectly indicated the fire started around the 16th floor and moved upward. (Subsequent resident inspections of the B1 parking basement found it clean, pointing to an internal vertical shaft or garbage chute origin).
8:00 a.m. – Higher-floor residents (20th floor and above) suffered a 1.5-hour delay before any alarms sounded on their levels, trapping them in unnavigable conditions.
10:00 a.m.– Emergency personnel inside the official command center reportedly refused to ascend past the 20th floor due to fear and infighting, resulting in a critical “3-Hour Rescue Gap” where the highest residential tiers received zero official support.
Human Toll
Left with no immediate guidance, residents of Olympic Heights Eastwood City were forced to self-evacuate under perilous conditions. Neighbors carried bedridden seniors down 20 flights of stairs in total darkness, while one resident on the 26th/27th floor climbed down the building’s exterior open viaduct to survive.
On the ground, fleeing victims found a complete absence of first aid or oxygen staging.
The medical consequences have been severe and tragic, with at least one human fatality reported by the community:
Unit 29D and its four family members remain heavily sedated, incapacitated and intubated in the ICU suffering from prolonged hypoxia and active brain swelling. Their family dog, Willow, died from smoke inhalation.
Unit 22nd Floor five family members (including a one-year-old child and a 70-year-old grandmother) are still in the ICU.
Multiple residents have been diagnosed with chemical pneumonia and severe lung inflammation from toxic smoke. Physicians have ordered all exposed individuals to undergo Pulmonary Function Tests (PFT) and Chest-CT Scans to monitor long-term respiratory damage from acidic plastic and rubber fumes.
Clear Negligence
Between June 19 and June 21, the Property Management Office (PMO) demonstrated continued negligence and hostility toward the victims:
Financial Burdening: The PMO has yet to issue any financial assistance hospital promissory notes, forcing victims to deplete personal funds. Displaced seniors were subjected to inflated hotel rates of P4,200/night.
Hazardous Cleanup: Management issued Advisory ADV-2026 suggesting standard commercial housekeepers, ignoring explicit technical warnings that toxic, acidic post-fire soot requires IICRC-certified professional bio-hazard remediation.
Suppression of Relief & Information: The PMO failed to coordinate with the local government, forcing residents to independently seek DSWD AICS financial relief and rice distribution from the Barangay Captain. The management disabled private messaging in the official Viber group to push “positive” media narratives claiming zero casualties while active monitoring of residents continued.
Safety Funds
The tragedy unfolds against a backdrop of unfulfilled financial mandates. On January 23, 2024, under Circular No. OLH-2024-004, building management billed unit owners a mandatory Special Assessment of P142.77 per square meter.
These funds were explicitly collected to replace defective Fire Detection and Alarm System (FDAS) loop panels, install fire pressurization fans, and implement critical safety upgrades.
On June 2, 2026, just 16 days before the fire incident, the building administration conducted maintenance checks and cleared individual unit smoke detectors, claiming the systems were operational.
Deafening Silence
What the residents are demanding for is communication from both Megaworld, the developer, the PMO, and the Olympic Heights board of directors. To open discussions from all parties so that affected residents are compensated and not left in the dark.
Secondly, a thorough and transparent investigation of the safety measures that failed to inform and evacuate residents early.
Lastly, the proper acknowledgment of fault and being human to people affected by the crisis.