TACLOBAN CITY– The island municipality of Maripipi in Biliran province will soon have its own municipal fire station.
The construction of the P10 million fire station facility, located within the municipal government compound, began in September and is expected to be completed by June next year.
Mayor Joseph Caingcoy expressed that having a fire station has been one of his key priorities since he assumed office.
“Having a fire station is mandated by law. Even though our town is peaceful and has never experienced a fire incident, as a responsible local chief executive, it has always been my vision to establish a fire station to help prevent and respond to such incidents,” Mayor Caingcoy stated.
Maripipi, one of the eight municipalities in Biliran, is an island town located more than 30 minutes away by motorboat from the town of Kawayan. It has 13 villages connected by a 20-kilometer circumferential road.
Although Maripipi currently lacks a fire station, two fire personnel have been deployed and will be joined by an additional five to six personnel once construction is completed. These firefighters have been actively conducting fire safety awareness programs and drills with local volunteers.
“Each barangay is trained and informed about fire safety,” Mayor Caingcoy added.
One of the volunteers, Robert Vicente, a ‘habal-habal’ driver, expressed his gratitude for the new fire station, noting that fire personnel are not only crucial in fire incidents but also in disaster rescue operations.
“Having a fire station is very important to us. It will be a big help during fires and even when there are storms,” Vicente shared.
According to the Bureau of Fire Protection, Maripipi is one of the municipalities in Eastern Visayas without a fire station, along with other island towns.
(ROEL T.AMAZONA)
