TWO lawmakers are pushing for a measure mandating the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to allocate P8 billion for the modernization of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
In House Bill 6383, or the “Fire Protection Modernization Act of 2015,” Party-list Reps. Gary C. Alejano and Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo of Magdalo said their proposal mandates the acquisition of modern equipment, which shall constitute the main thrust of the Fire Protection Modernization Program (FPMP).
“An amount of P8 billion shall be allotted coming from the income of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and from the General Appropriations Act immediately preceding the effectivity of this act,” the bill said.
The FPMP shall be implemented for a period of three years and shall establish a Fire Protection Service (FPS) to all local government units without existing fire protection services.
The measure also aims to establish fire stations and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in all local governments.
Under the bill, the program shall establish specialized fire protection and services for high-rise building fires, forest fires, airport and ship fires, chemical fires, disaster rescue services and EMS.
Moreover, it said FPMP shall upgrade fire-protection equipment, and establish training facilities, including personnel development program from internationally accredited training consultants and advisers if experts of equal qualification cannot be obtained locally.
In terms of contracts and agreement, the secretary of the Interior and Local Government (SILG) may enter into
multi-year contracts, lease-purchase agreements or other contractual agreements with local or foreign suppliers, the bill added.
The measure also said the contracts shall be favorable to the government and are subject to approval of the President under provisions of existing laws and regulations including from the Commission on Audit. It added that chief Fire Marshall should submit an annual report containing the process of the implementation of the FPMP to the President and Congress through the SILG.