Chamber of Commerce of Puerto Rico Presents its Forum Alert Collapse Condominiums … how long should we continue to wait for the recertifications of commercial buildings and condominiums?

(San Juan, Puerto Rico – September 27, 2021) With the aim of educating the private sector and the general public about risks due to lack of maintenance of condominiums and commercial buildings, promote legislation for recertification of buildings and fiduciary responsibility versus the updating of buildings, the Chamber of Commerce of Puerto Rico (CCPR), Dr. Edna Vázquez Bonnet and the Insurance Committee, will present their Forum Alert Collapse Condominiums … … how long should we continue to wait for the recertifications of commercial buildings and condominiums? on Thursday, October 14, 2021 from 8:00am to 1:00pm at the Royal Sonesta San Juan and via the Zoom platform.

“It is of the utmost importance that we see this issue as a priority in both the short and long term. As a people, as a private sector and engine of our economy, we cannot overlook this opportunity to combine wills to adopt courses of action that favor our greater collective well-being. We are determined here to achieve a change to the codes, laws and maintenance of commercial buildings and condominiums in Puerto Rico,” said the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Puerto Rico, Lcdo. Luis A. Gierbolini Rodriguez.

“We all know about the tragedy that occurred on June 24 in Surfside, Miami where more than 100 people lost their lives. This tragedy can occur in our beloved Puerto Rico where more than 70% of the structures are over 40 years old and were not built with the most recent building codes. We all have to do our part to prevent something similar from happening here. Only by uniting wills will we achieve the necessary changes and work hard for the common good, for the life and safety of all residents and merchants in Puerto Rico,” said the president of the Insurance Committee and president of Bonnet Insurance Brokerage Corporation, Dr. Edna Vázquez Bonnet; creator of the event.

“To address the issue of Structural Prevention of condominium collapse in Puerto Rico, which will be presented at the first panel of the Forum and moderated by Eng. Carlos I. Pesquera, President of PG Engineering Solutions, PS, we will have the participation of Eng. José M. Izquierdo Encarnación, President of Porticus, CSP; Mr. Jorge Lázaro León, Partner of Mr. Carlos A. Lázaro León & Asoc. CSP; Mr. Félix Rivera Arroyo, President of the Earthquake Committee of the College of Engineers and Surveyors of Puerto Rico and of arch. Margarita Frontera Muñoz, President of the College of Architects and Landscape Architects of Puerto Rico. This session composed of leaders of organizations and professional experts in the field will analyze important issues such as the Law to systematically update buildings in Puerto Rico; building maintenance code for Puerto Rico; current codes and consequences of earthquakes; and building codes in the United States,” continued Dr. Edna Vazquez Bonnet.

“To address the issue of Risk Management in Condominium Management, which will be presented in a second panel to be moderated by the also panelist, CPA Agnes B. Suárez, President of American International Insurance Company (AIG) we will have the participation of Eng. José R. Gayá Gil, President of Building Preservation Material Technologies Inc.; the Lcda. Marimar Pérez-Riera, President of the Association of Condominium Owners; Hon. Edan Rivera Rodríguez, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DACO) and Mr. Pedro José Torres Greer, President of the Mortgage Bankers Association of Puerto Rico (MBA). This session composed of leaders from organizations and local government, as well as the private sector, will discuss the fiduciary responsibility issues of the Board of Directors; risk management in condominium management; legal liability of Boards of Directors in buildings with structural deficiencies; changes in administrative procedures applicable to condominiums and what will be done with funded apartments in buildings that have an eviction order for inspection and failed recertification?” added Dr. Vázquez Bonnet.

“We will culminate the forum with a panel to discuss The Role of the Insurance Industry In Confronting Risks, which will be moderated by the Lcda. Iraelia Pernas, Executive Director of ACODESE and presented by Mr. Jaime González, President of Antilles Insurance and Mr. Alexis Sánchez, President of MAPFRE to talk in detail about the importance of building inspections for the underwriting of risks and claims, “concluded Dr. Vázquez Bonnet.

To register for the event, please contact Ms. Flor Martinez at (787) 721-6060 Ext. 2241 or fmartinez@camarapr.net. They can also register through the CCPR website in www.camarapr.org.

Contact: Sandra González
787.487.5486/sgonzalez@camarapr.net

Cobertura en Prensa:

• Cámara de Comercio de P.R. rechaza aumento solicitado por LUMA Energy., PressPR Wire, 24 de sept.