THE government’s Task Force El Niño has ordered the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to inspect and ensure fire safety of public hospitals and health facilities amid the continuing threat of the weather phenomenon.
Task Force El Niño chief and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. issued the directive during a recent meeting of the task force at Camp Aguinaldo.
Teodoro, who is also the chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), said the BFP “must ensure a safe environment for everyone, especially of those seeking healthcare services, and of the medical, healthcare service, and related professionals and workers.”
“Together, we must reduce the overall risk of fire-related incidents, accidents, and emergencies, most especially in all public hospitals and public health facilities,” said Teodoro.
Senior Inspector Umar Aduca, who represented the BFP in the meeting, said the bureau will convey the instructions of Teodoro to Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos. The fire bureau is under the supervision of the interior department.
Aduca assured the public that the BFP is giving paramount importance to fire safety “in order to preserve lives and protect properties.”
“We must protect individuals from harm and ensure their well-being. We must decrease the risk of property loss, destruction, and financial losses. We must reinvigorate the promotion of public safety,” said Aduca.
El Niño is a weather phenomenon that increases the likelihood of below-normal rainfall conditions that may lead to dry spells and droughts.
The NDRRMC, in a situation report issued on March 22, said El Niño’s damage to agriculture was already at P1.23 billion.
The agricultural damage were recorded in Western Visayas (P678.70 million), Mimaropa (P319.75 million), Cagayan Valley (P180.47 million), Ilocos region (P54.45 million), Calabarzon (P2.75 million) and Zamboanga Peninsula (P.71 million).
The NDRRMC said 26,731.4 hectares of crops have been affected by El Niño, as well as the livelihood and income of 29,409 farmers and fisherfolks.
