CORDILLERA—The Cordillera, which has some of the richest woodlands in the country, has few facilities against fires occurring in the region’s forests and populated areas, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
Chief Insp. Angelico Buyayo, BFP Cordillera assistant director, said only 34 fire stations and 54 fire trucks serve the upland provinces and the BFP needs to secure 94 more trucks to improve its fire fighting capabilities.
He said the comparatively weak fire fighting system can explain the rise in the number of Cordillera fires, from 191 cases in 2011 to 206 in 2012.
The BFP has no advanced equipment like helicopters to deal with forest fires so it has collaborated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to tap forest rangers to handle forest fires, said Josesito Dollente, BFP Cordillera public information officer.
According to the DENR, the Cordillera’s forest lands span more than 700,000 hectares.
“We lack fire stations because some local governments [failed to] donate lands where fire stations could be built. It is [mandatory] that each town should have a fire station,” he said.
He said the ideal ratio, which Cordillera fire fighters have yet to fulfill, is one fire truck for 28,000 people. Desiree Caluza, Inquirer Northern Luzon