FIRE STATION The site of the ongoing construction of the municipal fire station on Maripipi Island, Biliran province. The island town will have its first municipal fire station next year. (PNA photo by Roel Amazona)

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — The island town of Maripipi in Biliran province will have its first municipal fire station next year.

The P10 million fire station will rise within the 400-square-meter lot donated by the local government to the town hall in Ermita village.

The project funded by the Bureau of Fire Protection started in September this year and is targeted to be completed by June 2025.

Mayor Joseph Caingcoy said in an interview Tuesday that this is one of his priority projects since they are not accessible by land from the Biliran mainland.

“Having a fire station is mandated by law. Even if our town is peaceful and has never recorded any fire incident, it is one of our visions to establish a fire station that will help prevent incidents of fire in the future,” Caingcoy told the Philippine News Agency.

Maripipi is one of eight towns in Biliran province. It is accessible from the Biliran mainland through a 30-minute boat ride from the Kawayan town port.

The island town has 15 villages connected by a more than 20-kilometer-long circumferential road.

Although it does not have a fire station, the town has two deployed fire personnel. The number is expected to increase to six once the fire station project is completed.

The two personnel deployed by the local government have been tasked with conducting fire safety awareness and fire drills with volunteers in the community.