DILG-BFP Readies Forces for New Year Festivities

BOCAUE, BULACAN - Bureau of Fire Protection Officer-in-Charge, Fire Chief Superintendent Jesus P Fernandez led the ocular of firecracker stalls at Santiago Compound, Barangay Turo in the area to ensure fire safety in the storage and selling facilities in the area.

FCSupt Fernandez told the media in a press conference that the BFP will function in pursuant to Executive Order 28 (of 2016) to enforce fire safety in Community Fireworks Display Areas. “It is our yearly [routine] to conduct roving of our firetrucks, and I have orders that any open flame in the streets be extinguished immediately,” he added. “While it is our tradition to use fireworks, we as the regulating bodies, along with the Philippine National Police and the Department of Health, enforce the proper use of legal fireworks, in the appropriate areas,” he said.

The BFP OIC was accompanied by Ms. Marlene Lea Alapide, National President of the Philippine Pyrotechnics Manufacturers and Dealers Association, Inc. (PPMDAI) who revealed that illegal firecrackers were sold through online media platforms, damaging the reputation of legitimate firecracker vendors in Bulacan. Also present is CSupt Renato B Capuz, Regional Director of BFP R3, and FSSupt Ernesto S Pagdanganan, Provincial Fire Marshal of Bulacan.
The BFP currently has 37,946 personnel on patrol and standby under Full Alert status until January 2, 2024.

Conversely, about 33 fire incidents that are caused by firecrackers and pyrotechnics nationwide are recorded as of this date. OIC Fernandez reiterated the strict enforcement of the Community Fireworks Display Areas to avoid the further increase of this statistic.

Fire suppression, medical emergency, and disaster response is accessible via Emergency Hotline 911. ###