JSMDC C0637 House Manual

Iloilo City · Mandurriao

Staying
safe here.

Nothing on this page is meant to worry you — Iloilo is a calm city and this is a quiet, well-run building. These are simply the things worth knowing before you need them: how to avoid the accidents that actually happen in a condominium unit, how to keep a fire from starting, and exactly what to do if there is a fire or an earthquake. Two minutes now, and you will not have to think about it again.

Accident prevention Fire prevention If there is a fire If there is an earthquake Typhoon & rain Power, lifts & security Out in the city
Before anything else

In any emergency, call 911

Free, 24 hours, from any phone. It reaches police, fire and ambulance. Tell the operator you are in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.

911

First five minutes

When you arrive

Do these once, on your first day. They cost you two minutes and make everything below far easier if it is ever needed.

Walk to your fire exit once, now Step out and walk it before you need it. Open the stairwell door so you know it is unlocked and see where it goes, then come back. Count the doors on the way — in smoke you may not be able to see them, but you can feel along the wall and count. The building’s rules require every emergency exit and stairwell to be kept clear at all times, so the way down should always be open.House Rules §3.2.5
Know the second way down as well Your floor has three stairwells and they are at opposite ends of it. If the nearest is blocked or full of smoke, you want to already know which way the next one is rather than working it out in the dark.
Note where the fire extinguisher is The unit’s fire extinguisher is in the cabinet under the kitchen sink — the building requires one in every unit. Open that cabinet on your first day so you are not searching later. It is for a small fire you have caught early, or to clear your way to the door; anything bigger, leave it and get out. If it is not there, or the pressure gauge needle is outside the green band, tell your host.House Rules §9.2
Save the numbers in your phone Your host, the Property Management Office and 911. All of them, with the nearest hospitals, are on the emergency numbers page.
Keep the key or entry code within reach Somewhere you can find it in the dark. If you are woken by an alarm you want to be out in seconds, not searching.
Your floor, in plain terms

Every residential floor of this building is laid out the same way: one long corridor running east–west, and a shorter wing running south from the middle of it. What matters in an emergency is where the stairs are — and where they are not.

Stairs Three fire exits, all at the far ends

One at the west end of the long corridor, immediately past Unit 42. One at the east end, immediately past Unit 11. One at the far south end of the shorter wing, past Units 26 and 27. Each is an enclosed stairwell that runs all the way down. There is no other way out on foot.

Lifts In the middle — and not an escape route

The two lifts sit in the core at the centre of the floor, where the corridors meet. That is the way you normally leave, which is exactly the problem: in a fire it is the one way you must not go. Walk past them, to whichever end is nearer.

From this unit Turn toward Unit 42

This unit sits on the south side of the long corridor, on its western half. Walk in the direction where the door numbers rise — 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 — and the west stairwell is right there, about five doors along. That is your nearest way out. The east stairwell, past Unit 11, is the opposite direction and much further.

Taken from the building’s typical-floor plan for Tower C; the layout is the same on every residential floor. One thing worth knowing: the door numbers do not run in one straight line — they count outward from the lifts in both directions, and there is no Unit 13. So go by which way the numbers rise or fall from your own door rather than by the number alone. If a stairwell door is ever blocked or propped open, tell the Property Management Office — that is worth reporting at once.

Accident prevention

The things that
actually happen.

Serious emergencies are rare. Ordinary household accidents are not — and in a condominium unit they cluster around a short, predictable list. Nearly all of it is avoidable with a moment’s attention.

Wet floors — the commonest injury Tiled bathroom and kitchen floors are slippery when wet. Dry spills straight away, use the bath mat, and step out of the shower onto it rather than onto bare tile. Most household falls happen within a metre of the shower.
Hot water and hot surfaces Set the shower heater before you get in and test the water with your hand. An induction hob’s glass top stays hot for several minutes after it is switched off and gives no visual warning — treat it as hot until it has fully cooled.
Children A unit is not child-proofed. Keep children away from the hob, the balcony railing and the windows, do not leave furniture where it can be climbed near a railing, and never leave a child alone in the bathroom. The house rules make the adult with them responsible for their safety on the balcony — take that literally.House Rules §2.2.2
The balcony Never sit, lean or climb on the railing, and do not put chairs, stools or luggage against it. Balcony furniture here is limited to knee height for exactly this reason.House Rules §2.2.8
Nothing goes over the edge Throwing or dropping anything from a window, balcony or hallway is expressly prohibited — not water, not cigarette ends, not crumbs shaken from a cloth. A small object falling from height is lethal on the ground.House Rules §2.4.1.10
Electrical points Dry hands, always. Do not run a socket through a daisy-chain of extension leads, and do not put an extension lead under a rug or a mattress. Appliances here must stay within the unit’s electrical load allowance — so run one heavy appliance at a time.House Rules §2.4.1.14
Doors, glass and edges Glass balcony and shower doors can be hard to see when clean. Close doors rather than leaving them half open, and mind fingers in the heavy main door — it is fire-rated and closes with real force.
Alcohol and water do not mix Most holiday accidents involve one drink too many and one of the hazards above — a wet floor, a balcony, a hot pan. It is worth saying plainly.
Keep the exit path clear Luggage and shoes at the door are exactly what you trip over in the dark or in smoke. Keep the path from the bedroom to the main door clear at night — and note that nothing may be left outside the door or in the hallway.House Rules §3.2.1
Have a small first-aid kit to hand Plasters, antiseptic and paracetamol cover almost everything. Pharmacies nearby are on the nearby page; for anything more, the hospitals on the emergency page are minutes away.

Fire prevention

Stopping one
before it starts.

Almost every residential fire begins in one of a handful of ways, and every one of them is something a guest controls. This is the most useful part of this page. Several of these are not merely advice — they are building rules.

Never iron on the bedUse the ironing board in the wardrobe cabinet — never the bed, the sofa or a countertop. A hot iron rested on bedding burns through it in seconds; a burned sheet cannot be washed clean and has to be replaced at the guest’s cost. Stand the iron upright on its heel whenever you pause, and never leave it plugged in unattended.
Never leave cooking unattended Unattended cooking is the single largest cause of home fires. If you leave the kitchen — even to answer the door — switch the hob off. Keep tea towels, paper and packaging away from the hob, and never dry cloth on or over it.
No flammable or hazardous materials in the unit The house rules prohibit storing any explosive, hazardous or flammable material in any part of the unit, and building management will confiscate anything of the kind on sight. In practice: no spare fuel, no solvents, no gas canisters.House Rules §9.5
No cooking devices on the balcony — ever Grills and any other cooking device on the balcony are strictly prohibited. No barbecue, no portable stove, no charcoal. Cook in the kitchen.House Rules §2.2.4
No open flame indoors No candles, no incense, no shisha. If you want the ambience, use the lamps.
No smoking in the common areas The lobby, lifts and all common areas are designated non-smoking. Please do not smoke or vape inside the unit either — and never throw a cigarette end from the balcony.House Rules §3.2.7
Do not overload sockets or extension leads One high-draw appliance — kettle, iron, heater, hair dryer — per socket. Do not chain extension leads together, and never run a lead under a rug, a door or a mattress where the cable can be crushed and overheat.
Charge devices on a hard surface, never on a bed Phones, laptops and power banks get hot while charging. On a bed, sofa or pillow the heat has nowhere to go. Charge on a table, and do not leave a power bank or a scooter or bike battery charging overnight or while you are out.
Never touch the sprinklers, alarm or fire hose cabinet Tampering with any fire protection device — the sprinkler head, the fire alarm, the hose cabinet, the smoke detector — is prohibited. Never hang anything from a sprinkler head and never cover a detector, not even to stop a cooking alarm. These systems are shared with the whole tower.House Rules §9.1, §2.4.1.13
Keep the fire escape clear All fire escapes must be free of obstruction at all times, and anything left in a common area will be removed. Never prop a stairwell or fire door open.House Rules §9.4, §3.2.5
Unplug before you go out Iron, kettle, heater, hair dryer — off at the socket. Five seconds, and the whole category is gone.
Using the extinguisher, if it comes to it Only ever with your back to a clear way out, and only on a fire still small enough to cover. Pull the pin, stand back about two metres, aim the nozzle at the base of the flames rather than the top, squeeze the handle and sweep side to side. If it does not go out within a few seconds, stop, leave, and close the door behind you.
If a pan catches fire Never use water on an oil fire — it will erupt. Switch off the heat if you can reach it safely, and smother the pan with its lid or a large plate. If it does not go out at once, get out, close the door behind you, and raise the alarm.

If there is a fire

Get out.
Stay out.
Call 911.

Fire is the emergency where the first thirty seconds matter most. Leave early rather than late — it is smoke, not flame, that harms people, and it moves faster than most expect.

Get out immediately. Do not gather your things. Take your phone and the key. Everything else can be replaced and nothing else is worth the seconds. Wake everyone in the unit as you go.
Feel the door before you open it Use the back of your hand on the door and on the handle. If either is hot, or you can see smoke coming under the door, do not open it — go to step 6 instead.
Close the door behind you A closed door holds back fire and smoke for a remarkably long time and protects everyone else on the floor. Close it — do not lock it.
Take the stairs. Never the lift. A lift can stop at the fire floor, and it will lose power. Walk down, hold the handrail, and keep to one side so firefighters can come up past you. Raise the corridor alarm on your way if you pass one.
If there is smoke, stay low Clean air sits near the floor. Crouch or crawl, cover your nose and mouth with cloth — damp if there is time — and follow the wall with one hand to the stairs. If the stairwell itself is heavy with smoke, go back and use step 6.
If you cannot get out, seal yourself in and signal Going into heavy smoke is more dangerous than staying put, and this is a sound decision, not a last resort. Shut the door, stuff towels — wet if possible — into the gap underneath, call 911 and say the building, the tower, your floor and that you are trapped, then go to the window or balcony and make yourself visible. Firefighters will come to you.
Once outside, move well clear — and stay out Go beyond the building line and away from the driveway so fire trucks can get in. Do not go back inside for anything or anyone; tell the firefighters instead. Do not re-enter until the fire service says the building is clear.
Tell the guard or the Property Management Office Any unusual occurrence in the tower must be reported to the Property Management Office or any of the guards — that is what starts the building’s own response. Call 911 first, from outside, then them.House Rules §8.1.4
Then call your host Once you are safe and out, let us know — we will deal with the rest.

Fire — Mandurriao station: (033) 321 0779. 911 reaches them too. This building runs a fire drill at least once a year with the Bureau of Fire Protection — if one happens during your stay, please take part rather than sit it out.

If there is an earthquake

Drop.
Cover.
Hold on.

The Philippines is seismically active and tremors are felt in Iloilo from time to time. A mid- or high-rise building is designed to sway — movement is not by itself a sign that anything is wrong. Almost all injuries come from falling objects and from trying to move while the floor is moving.

Drop to your hands and knees, at once Before the shaking knocks you over. This also lets you move if you need to.
Cover your head and neck Get under a sturdy table or desk if one is within a step or two. If not, crouch beside a solid interior wall away from windows and away from anything tall, and cover your head and neck with your arms.
Hold on until the shaking stops Hold the leg of the table and move with it. Do not run for the door, the stairs or the balcony while the floor is still moving — that is when people fall.
Stay away from glass and anything that can topple Windows, mirrors, the balcony door, wardrobes and shelves. If you are in bed, stay there and cover your head with a pillow — unless something heavy hangs above it.
When it stops, check yourself and anyone with you Then put shoes on before you walk. Broken glass is the usual injury afterwards.
Leave by the stairs if there is damage, smoke or a gas smell Or if building management tells you to. Never use the lift after an earthquake, even if it appears to work. If there is no damage and no instruction to evacuate, staying in the unit is normally the safer choice.
Expect aftershocks They are normal, usually weaker, and can continue for days. Take the same action each time — drop, cover, hold on.
If you are outdoors when it starts Move away from the building line, glass facades and power lines, into the open, and stay there until the shaking stops. Do not run back inside for belongings.

After a strong quake, keep phone calls short so the network stays clear for emergencies — a text or a message often gets through when a call will not. Note that in an emergency such as fire, flood or earthquake, building management is permitted to enter the unit even if you are not in it.House Rules §8.1.5 Official information comes from PHIVOLCS at phivolcs.dost.gov.ph.

Typhoon & heavy rain

Storm season

The wet season, roughly June to November, brings the habagat monsoon and the occasional typhoon. Warnings are issued by PAGASA, the national weather service, and carried on local radio, television and every news app. You will have plenty of notice.

Signal No. 1

Winds building over about the next 36 hours. Normal activity is fine — just watch the forecast and bring anything loose in off the balcony.

Signal No. 2

Stronger winds within about 24 hours. Classes and many offices suspend. Stay indoors, close and lock the windows, and postpone island or ferry trips.

Signal No. 3

Dangerous winds within about 18 hours. Stay inside and away from windows. Expect power and water interruptions. Do not travel.

Signal No. 4 & 5

Very destructive to extreme winds. Remain indoors in an interior room away from all glass, and follow the instructions of the local authorities and of the building.

Bring the balcony inside Anything wind can lift — chairs, drying racks, bottles. Then close and latch the balcony door and the windows.
Charge everything, and store some water Phone, power bank, and a few bottles or a filled kettle. Power and the building water pumps can go together.
Have a light that is not your phone A small torch, or the unit’s emergency light if fitted. Never candles.
Do not wade through flood water City streets can flood fast in heavy rain. Flood water hides open drains and carries leptospirosis risk. Wait indoors — it usually drains within hours.
Reschedule the boat before the flight Sea travel to Guimaras and Bacolod suspends first and earliest in bad weather. Always check before setting out.

The weather page on this site shows live conditions at the building and the rain radar. Official warnings come from PAGASA at pagasa.dost.gov.ph.

Power, lifts and security

When something
stops working.

Power interruption Scheduled interruptions are announced in advance by the building. The unit has a generator changeover — the illustrated four-step guide is on the main manual page. Follow it exactly, with dry hands, and do not touch any other breaker. To see whether one is scheduled during your stay, check the power interruptions page.
A breaker that keeps tripping Unplug whatever was running, then reset it once with dry hands. If it trips again straight away, leave it off and call the host. A breaker doing its job twice is a fault, not an inconvenience — and forcing it is how fires start.
Trapped in a lift Press the alarm button and stay inside. Do not force the doors and do not climb out through the ceiling hatch — the car can move. Call the Property Management Office; there are staff on site.
Water interruption Usually building maintenance, and usually short. Keep a filled bottle or kettle in storm season. The Property Management Office can say when it is back.
Door lock trouble If the digital lock will not open, do not force the handle or the lower knob. Call your host — there is a procedure, and forcing it turns a five-minute problem into an overnight one.
Restricted areas Machine rooms, electrical and meter rooms, generator rooms and utility decks are restricted — entry only with building management and their supervision. If a problem is in one of those, it is a call, not a look.House Rules §3.2.6
Security and visitors The building has 24-hour security and controlled access, and visitors are received at Reception rather than sent up. Tell your host in advance if someone is coming to see you. Lock the unit whenever you leave.House Rules §8.1.1–8.1.2
Someone at the door Only registered service people with a work permit are allowed up, and any maintenance visit is arranged through your host or the Property Management Office. If you are not expecting anyone, do not open — call the office and ask.House Rules §8.1.6, §8.2.7
Gas or burning smell Do not switch anything on or off and do not use a lighter. Open a window, leave the unit, and call the Property Management Office from outside — or 911 if it is strong.

Out in the city

Away from
the building.

Iloilo is among the safer cities in the Philippines, and the Business Park is well lit and busy well into the evening. Ordinary traveller sense is all that is needed.

Getting around Use Grab rather than flagging an unmarked vehicle at night — see the delivery & rides page. Jeepneys and taxis are fine by day; do not get into an unmetered car on a quoted price.
Crossing the road Traffic here does not always yield at crossings, and motorbikes filter through gaps. Cross with other people, and look both ways twice.
Heat and sun Tropical and humid year round. Drink more water than you think you need, wear sunscreen, and take the middle of the day gently if you are walking.
Mosquitoes Dengue is present in the region, mostly in the wet season. Repellent around dawn and dusk, and keep the balcony door shut in the evening.
Food and water Drink bottled or filtered water — tap water here is for washing and bathing. For street food, choose the busy stalls: high turnover means fresh. Our picks are on the nearby page.
Beaches and ferries Guimaras is a short crossing away. Use the official terminal, wear the life vest, and never sail in bad weather — crossings are suspended for good reason. Currents on open beaches can be strong; swim where others swim.
Valuables Ordinary care in crowds, markets and at festivals. Carry a copy of your ID and leave the passport in the unit.
Festivals Dinagyang and the fiestas draw very large crowds. Agree a meeting point with your group, keep your phone charged, and know that roads close and rides get scarce late in the day. See what’s on.
If you are asked where you are

SMDC Style Residences
Benigno Aquino Ave., Brgy. Buhang Taft North
Mandurriao, Iloilo City

Landmark: beside SM City IloiloGive your tower and unit number as shown in your check-in message. Your host: 0917 323 2369  ·  Property Manager (Greenmist), Raffy Amarra: 0917 852 3470
Not sure, or something feels wrong? Call your host. There is no bad time to ask — we would far rather hear from you early than late.
Call host

For the full list of police, fire, ambulance and hospital numbers, see the emergency numbers page. For how to sort and put out your rubbish, see the waste & recycling page.

Have a safe and easy stay.

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Rules marked “House Rules” are quoted from the SMDC Style House Rules & Regulations booklet that applies to this building; the section numbers are given so you can check them. The rest follows the standing public advice of the Philippine Bureau of Fire Protection, PHIVOLCS and PAGASA, together with ordinary condominium practice. It is general guidance and does not replace the instructions of the building’s management or of emergency responders on the day — if they tell you something different, follow them.