THE construction of fire stations and delivery of firefighting gear to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) have not materialized five years after funds totaling P905.306 million were transferred to the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) as procuring agent.
Government auditors said the delay of half a decade has exposed BFP personnel to the risk of injury and prevented the agency from attaining its mandate.
Out of the sum transferred to the PITC, P892.34 million was intended for the construction of 98 fire stations all over the country with P104.83 million coming from the BFP and P787.51 million from local funding and domestic grants.
The balance was earmarked for the procurement of personal protective equipment and the improvement of existing facilities.
“The considerable delay in the delivery of requested projects deprived the BFP and the public of the benefits that could have been derived therefrom, and could have affected the satisfactory attainment of the BFP’s operational mandate,” the COA said.
The BFP assured auditors that the Director for Logistics has been working with the PITC to fast-track the completion and delivery of the projects.
On the other hand, state auditors called out the agency on the non-attainment of the planned one fire station per municipality as the latest records showed there were still 219 towns in various parts of the country without an activated fire station.
The number includes 185 without a firefighting building or a firetruck and 34 with personnel and facilities but awaiting the bureau’s activation order.
The BFP Engineering Division defines an activated fire station as “having adequate personnel, firefighting facilities and equipment to operate.”
“The significant delays incurred in the completion of the 89 construction projects, procured through the PITC, and seven projects by BFP Region 2 put the lives and properties of residents and businesses to risk and danger in case of fire,” the audit team pointed out.
Based on the list provided in the 2022 audit report, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has 79 municipalities, by far the most of any region in the country.
