A three-year-old erroneous chain message is circulating anew on TikTok and Facebook (FB), claiming that SM Mall of Asia (MOA) is on the brink of collapse as its underwater foundations have been damaged.
SM MOA in its official FB page said on Dec. 6 that “the message being recirculated on social media and messaging apps, where water will cause the Mall of Asia building to collapse, is false.”
“The foundation of the SM Mall of Asia Complex is built on concrete piles that reach the bedrock and will withstand extreme situations,” the statement said.
The erroneous post reappeared on social media two days after a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Lubang, Occidental Mindoro and was felt in Metro Manila. It discouraged the public from going to the mall, and further claimed that only a pumping system is stopping the underwater collapse of the mall.
Pasay City’s Public Information Office also warned people against the incorrect advisory by resharing SM’s official statement.
The chain message read:
“Guys, avoid niyo din pumunta sa MOA. 1 of the engineers is our family friend and pinatawag sila ng management dahil nasira na ang mga pondasyon sa ilalim causing the water from the bay to enter sa ilalim. Pumping system na lang yung tumutulak pabalik ng water sa bay. Pag nasira ang mga pumps pwedeng magcollapse ang MOA.”
(Guys, avoid going to MOA. One of the engineers is our family friend and management called them because the underground foundations are broken, causing the water from the bay to enter underneath. Only a pumping system is pushing the water back to the bay. If these pumps broke the MOA might collapse.
SM Management in previous statements in January 2020, November 2020, and March 2021, debunked this claim as patently false. It denied that its Senior Management called for any meetings with Engineering on the said matter.
The SM MOA Complex stands on 60 hectares of reclaimed land in Pasay City fronting the Manila Bay.
The posts, uploaded by two FB netizens and five TikTok users, garnered a total of 22,406 views, 150 reactions, 47 comments, and 97 shares.
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)