The tandem of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and aspiring vice president Sara Duterte said Monday they will push for the modernization of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), although they did not specify which part of the agency that needs to be modernized.
What Marcos Jr. and Duterte only said was there is a need for the BFP to recruit more firefighters as well as be provided with specialized training.
“Kung kayang gawin ito sa loob ng mas maikling panahon, gagawin natin dahil ang BFP hindi lang sa sunog, rumeresponde. Tumutulong din ito kapag may iba pang kalamidad (If it can be done in a short period of time, we will do it because BFP doesn’t only respond to fire, but they also help during calamities),” the duo said in a statement.
Marcos Jr. and Duterte’s UniTeam alliance said implementing Republic Act 11589 or the “BFP Modernization Act of 2021” will transform the BFP into a modern and world-class institution within ten years.
Aside from providing the BFP with modern firefighting tools and life-saving equipment, more employees, and training, the law will also broaden the BFP’s mandate by including fire prevention and suppression in economic zones, disaster risk response, and emergency management.
“We are observing Fire Prevention Month this March. It is ironic that, as we have experienced in the past years, parang mas maraming nangyayaring sunog kapag ganitong buwan (it seems there are more fire during this month) We have to improve the services and capabilities of the Bureau of Fire Protection to make it more responsive,” the UniTeam said.