DENR, DILG to combat forest fires

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) signed recently a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to work together in preventing and suppressing forest fires.

The MOA was signed by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez and DILG Undersecretary Wencelito Andanar in ceremonies held at the Visitors Center of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB).

The signing of the MOA signals the active participation of the DILG-BFP in the prevention and suppression of forest fires. Traditionally, these functions are solely the responsibility of the DENR.

In his message, Alvarez said "there is a need to break the bondage of ignorance and poverty of the 18 million upland dwellers who depend on forest resources for their living but whose practices can deplete our resources and cause forest fires."

Andanar noted the "dismal" condition of BFP’s firefighting equipment. He said the bureau’s fleet consists of 20- to 40-year old fire trucks. He pointed out that in Japan, firetrucks are retired every eight years.

The BFP official said they need an additional 1,700 fire trucks, of which 900 units are needed for immediate fielding to the different municipalities. — Benny Enriquez