MARAWI CITY — A fire station is always with a firetruck, fire equipment and firefighters. But in the case of Marawi City, everything is present except for a fire truck.
The fire truck was among those razed to the ground during the May 2017 Marawi Seige and since then, the fire truck was never replaced. Meantime, since January 2021, five fire incidents occurred and in all these, a fire truck is invisible, because the Marawi City Fire Station does not have a fire truck.
For Fire Officer 2 Japar Macabala, having a nice building with fire equipment does not make him a firefighter because they do not have a fire truck.
Residents of Marawi bashed them being useless since they could not respond to any fire calls, but he kept calm because he and his fellow firefighters know that the problem is not within their means to resolve.
On February 18, a fire broke off in a school near the 2017 Marawi Siege evacuation center in barangay Sagosongan, still they were rendered inutile and again got bashed.
Fire Officer 2 Daud Macabantog, the fire and arson investigator of Marawi City Fire Station have sited fire calls during the incidents in Sarimanok, Maxine, Basak Malutlut and Kilala, they responded manually until the nearby Lanao del Norte Fire trucks arrived.
Macabala said the Task Force Bangon Marawi provided them a modern fire station, ambulance, hazmat vehicle.
A document obtained by Newsline.ph showed that in 2018 the Department of Budget and Management released P96-million from the national coffers for the purchase of fire prevention equipment.
Based on the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) the P96.4-million fund was intended for the construction of BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection) facilities (P7.3M), installation of fire hydrants (P3.5M), and purchase of BFF equipment, supplies and materials (P85M).
Sources however said the P85M was used to purchase 2 Hazmat (shuttle) trucks, 1 rescue vehicle and 1 ambulance unit,” but the budget was silent about the purchase of a fire truck.
The fund was released through the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TMBM) being the lead entity for all rehabilitation efforts in Marawi.
For his part, Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra said they are awaiting for the fire truck which they requested from the national government through the Department of Interior and Local Government. While, Housing Department Secretary Eduardo Año said the Republic of China vowed to donate six (6) fire trucks for Marawi City which will come on the third quarter of the year, “So, if hindi pa darating yong commitment ng DILG, assured tayo na may darating sa 3rd quarter yong from China.– Divina M. Suson
