BFP Region 7 marks 35th anniversary, highlights modernization

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Region 7 marked its 35th anniversary on Tuesday, August 11, showcasing its emergency response accomplishments and ongoing modernization over the past year.

Fire Chief Superintendent Robert Macatangay Pacis, director for operations at BFP National Headquarters, delivered the keynote speech on behalf of Chief Superintendent Wilberto Rico Neil A. Kwan Tiu, officer in charge of the BFP.

The celebration took place in the at the Golden Peak Hotel in Cebu City. It carried the theme “Tatlong Dekada at Limang Taon ng Serbisyong Tapat at Maaasahan: BFP sa Bagong Pilipinas” (Three Decades and Five Years of Local and Reliable Service: BFP in the New Philippines.”

Data presented at the event showed that BFP Region 7 received 737 fire calls from January to July 2026.

BFP Region 7’s accomplishments

During the same period, the bureau also responded to 47 fire-related EMS calls, 105 medical emergencies, and 68 trauma calls.

The agency also conducted 24 blood donation drives, 41 disaster and rescue operations, and 14 retrieval operations. They handled 17 animal rescues, 30 road traffic incidents, 21 disaster response deployments, and one electrocution rescue.

As of July 31, 2026, the region also generated ₱150,863,140.98 in fire code fees, the data showed.

BFP Region 7 currently has 2,241 personnel across the region. They include 57 commissioned officers, 2,168 non-commissioned officers, and 16 non-uniformed personnel. The region operates 101 fire stations and 35 fire sub-stations.

Funding and equipment gains

Fire Chief Supt. Rogelio Bongabong Jr., BFP Region 7 assistant regional director for administration, said that local fire marshals facilitated land donations to build new fire stations and substations across the region.

Bongabong added that the region also upgraded its communication equipment through local government units.

Through continued coordination with legislators, the bureau secured an additional ₱50-million allocation for its modernization program, he said.

The region also received one additional fire truck, bringing its fleet to a total of 209 BFP-owned units, according to Bongabong.

Working closely with local governments

He attributed these gains to collaboration with local government units, private businesses, stakeholders, and individuals, while expressing gratitude for their ongoing support of the bureau’s modernization agenda.

Pacis, on behalf of Tiu, traced the bureau’s evolution since its creation under Republic Act No. 6975 in 1991. He cited a series of laws that expanded the BFP’s mandate over the decades, including those strengthening the fire service, reinforcing the fire code, and integrating the bureau’s role in disaster risk reduction and management.

He also mentioned Executive Order No. 56, which strengthened search and rescue capability, and RA 11589, or the BFP Modernization Act.

Better tools, training for firefighters

Pacis said the modernization law will soon mark its 10th year, and acknowledged that the bureau still has “a long way to go” in fully implementing it.

Modernization should not be seen solely as acquiring equipment and facilities, but as providing personnel with better tools, training, and systems, he added.

Pacis, who said he has one month left as officer-in-charge, called on BFP Region 7 personnel to do their part in carrying the organization’s goals forward.

“Be there, fulfill your mandate, protect with purpose,” he said, in closing his message to the region’s firefighters.

Recognizing local partners

BFP Region 7 Regional Director Rodolfo Denaga said that the anniversary also created an opportunity to recognize local government units and private donors who provided land for fire stations and training centers, noting that some areas in the region still lack a standard fire station.

Denaga highlighted the Lapu-Lapu City Fire Station as a national awardee after it was named District Fire Station of the Year, attributing the honor to its community engagement programs and equipment procurement efforts.

He added that the bureau continues to conduct house-to-house fire safety inspections and community training, citing zero casualties and zero fire incidents as its long-term goal, and appealed to the public to cooperate with firefighters conducting home inspections.

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