12 Iloilo towns have no firetrucks
Twelve of the 41 towns in the province of Iloilo do not have firetrucks. People from these towns have to seek help from their neighboring towns in case of fire.
Iloilo Fire Provincial Office chief Supt. Casiano del Castillo identified these towns as Ajuy, Bingawan, Badiangan, Carles, Concepcion, Maasin, Mina, San Dionisio, San Joaquin, San Rafael, Tubungan and Zarraga.
Early morning last Friday the public market of Bingawan was totally razed by fire. Firetrucks from Passi City and Tapaz, Capiz responded but the fire was already difficult to control when they came.
Del Castillo said it is the function of the concerned local government unit to make a request to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) for them to avail of firetrucks.
Del Castillo said a firetruck is set to be given to the town of San Miguel. The municipality of San Joaquin has its firetruck and yet it is not operational, he added.
Meanwhile, the municipality of Bingawan, Iloilo has been placed under state of calamity.
In a report Bingawan Mayor Matt Palabrica said that he intended to use the calamity fund to give financial assistance to the market vendors whose stalls turned into ashes.
Bureau of Fire Protection estimated the cost of damage to reach P2 million.
Initial investigation showed that the fire started at the office of a cooperative inside the public market. Fire investigators believed the fire was caused by a short circuit.
No human deaths or injuries was reported.
Mayor Palabrica said the fire could not have razed the entire public market had the town has its own firetruck.
Palabrica said he now intends to look for funds so they could buy a firetruck for the town of Bingawan.
Meanwhile, the local government will temporary close a street in their town where the vendors could sell their wares while the public market is being cleared of the rubbles.