P40M PROVINCIAL FIRE MARSHAL OFFICE INAUGURATED IN BOHOL; BFP CHIEF EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO ANGARA

BUREAU of Fire Protection (BFP) chief Director Jesus Fernandez on Friday led the inauguration of a P40-million worth of provincial fire facility in Bohol.

Fernandez said the construction of the two-storey building was made possible through the help of the office of then Senator and now Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

The fire facility located at the 1,000 square-meter lot in Bgy. Malayo Sur, Cortes, Bohol, with an adjacent mess hall, will serve as office of provincial fire marshal (OPFM) Supt. Raul Bustalino and 20 personnel, including two provincial job order workers.

It will also be home for the 103 firetrucks and four ambulances that would be on standby to respond to fire incidents and medical emergencies.

The BFP head thanked Angara for the generosity and  support to the Bureau’s goal of an enhanced firefighting capability under its modernization program.

Fernandez said that the new fire provincial office symbolizes resilience and unity of the firefighters and the community.

BFP Region 7 director Chief Supt. Fred Trajeras joined Fernandez in lauding the collective efforts of the personnel and the strong continuous support of the provincial and local government unit.

“The provincial fire marshal Supt. (Raul) Bustalino was able to coordinate and requested for funds from then Senator (Sonny) Angara, wherein he allotted P40 million for the construction of the office of the provincial fire marshal. You know it’s a unique – somehow may kinaiba ito – because even in the national headquarters, we cannot simply just allocate funding for the OPFM, mostly ang funding doon is para sa construction for the city fire station, municipal fire station but this time, at least outsourcing or coming from the good senator . . . malaking bagay ito,” Trajeras said.

Apart from the Office of Sen. Angara,  Fernandez also thanked the local officials – the Office of Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, Office of Cortes Mayor Rodrigo Dennis Uy and 1st district Congressman John Geesnell Yap.

He went on to share an instance at the Senate where legislators showed much interest in the BFP modernization program that a scheduled hearing which was supposed to be finished in seven days – lasted for three weeks.

“Lahat ng senators gusto mag-interpellate, interesado sila. .  then isa-isa nagsasabi . . .I support (fire modernization),” the BFP chief recalled.

Meanwhile, a day after the Bohol event, Fernandez took a sea ride to Cebu where he visited the future site of the government’s Unified 911 emergency system.

Last May, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that the 911 emergency system will officially go live this month  in the National Capital Region (NCR), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM) and Regions 1 and 7.

According to Remulla, the national emergency response will be powered by cutting-edge technology and will be expanded to other regions in the succeeding months.

As for the site of the 911 Visayas Hub, Fernandez said he talked with the head of the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) of Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu who according to him, gave a positive response.