4 in 10 Phl towns have no fire stations

MANILA, Philippines -  A party-list congressman has asked the House to look into the government’s failure to build at least one fire station in every town as required by a 21-year-old law.

 In Resolution 1228, Rep. Arnel Ty of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association said “four out of every 10 towns have

absolutely no firefighting whatsoever.”

 Citing Bureau of Fire Protection figures, Ty, a Filipino-Chinese fire brigade volunteer, said at least 613 of the country’s 1,502 towns still do not have a single fire station.

 “In the absence of immediate and adequate firefighting capabilities, human lives as well as properties are at grave risk of being lost and instantly destroyed in an accidental fire,” he said.

 He cited the four-hour blaze that destroyed the five-storey Bed and Breakfast Pension House in Tuguegarao City on Dec. 19, 2010, which killed 16 people and injured 12 others.

 He said Republic Act 6975, the 1990 law creating the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), mandates the establishment of at least one fire station in every town nationwide.

 He said under the law, the national government, through the DILG, would build the station, with the town providing the land or site.

 He urged the House appropriation committee and the committee on local government to jointly “ascertain the conditions that have prevented the DILG from establishing at least one fire station in every town, as required by law.”

 Based on Ty’s resolution, there are 22 towns in Abra that have no fire stations, Apayao, three; Benguet, seven; Ifugao, six; Kalinga, five; Mountain Province, six; Ilocos Norte, seven; Ilocos Sur, 16; La Union, 10; Pangasinan, 15; Cagayan, six; Isabela, 13; Nueva Vizcaya, seven; Quirino, one; Aurora, three; Bulacan, one; Nueva Ecija, four; Pampanga, five; Tarlac, four; Zambales, two;

 Batangas, eight; Cavite, three; Quezon, five; Laguna, five; Oriental Mindoro, 11; Palawan, six; Romblon, 10; Albay, four; Camarines Norte, three; Camarines Sur, eight; Catanduanes, seven; Masbate, 15; Sorsogon, seven; Aklan, 10; Antique, 12; Capiz, seven; Guimaras, one; Iloilo, eight; Negros Occidental, six;

 Bohol, 30; Cebu, five; Negros Oriental, 10; Siquijor, three; Biliran, three; Eastern Samar, 13; Leyte, 15; Northern Samar, six; Southern Leyte, nine; Western Samar, eight; Zamboanga del Norte, 14; Zamboanga del Sur, 22; Zamboanga Sibugay, seven; Bukidnon, six; Camiguin, one; Lanao del Norte, 14; Misamis Occidental, eight; Misamis Oriental, 10;

 Davao del Norte, three; Davao del Sur, six; Davao Oriental, three; North Cotabato, six; Sarangani, three; South Cotabato, one; Sultan Kudarat, six; Agusan del Norte, five; Agusan del Sur, eight; Dinagat Islands, five; Surigao del Norte, 12; Surigao del Sur, five; Basilan, nine; Lanao del Sur, 37; Maguindanao, 25; Sulu, 10; and Tawi-Tawi, three.