Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESNTATIVES
Quezon City
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

House Bill No. S322

Introduced by Representative ARNEL U. TY

EXPLANATORY NOTE

In the Philippines, we celebrate Fire Prevention Month in the month of
March and during this season fire prevention activities are administered by
the Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP}, local government units, firefighting
agencies, schools, and other institutions.

We have to take seriously these fire prevention activities because
annually, our average fire incidents have not decreased through the years.
In Metro Manila, our average fire incidents are 3,864.8; in Luzon, the
average fire incidents are 2,113; in Visayas, the average is 1,551.8; and in
Mindanao, the average is 1,269.2. In all, the average fire incidents in the
Philippines are 8,798.8.

In every fire incident, we always see the victims because they truly
have suffered losses which may be in the form of shelter, clothing and worst
— love ones. We tend to forget, however, that there are unsung heroes who
rise to the challenge of putting out the uncontrollable fires in order to save
the things and those that are precious and dear to us, not minding that
while doing so, they endanger their health, arms, limbs and also their lives.
When these fire incidents happen, those who treasure fire volunteers are
equally threatened every time that these unsung heroes rise to spare us
from more grief as they put-off uncontrollable and destructive fires.

The unsung heroes referred to are the fire volunteers whose sheer
motivation in conducting fire fighting activities is the spirit of voluntarism
which is deeply rooted in our bayanihan culture. Our conservative estimate
of fire volunteers in Metro Manila based on the records of the Bureau of Fire
Protection is 2,700 while the conservative estimate of firetrucks and
ambulance being used to respond to any uncontrollable fire is 282. If we put
economic value on these, we can say that the government is saving an
estimated amount of P32,400,000.00 a year for the supposed salaries and
benefits of the fire volunteers and 88,000,000.00 a year for the value of the
operations and regular maintenance of firetrucks and ambulances. But
these figures are for Metro Manila only. In short, if we include in the
computation all fire volunteers and all firetrucks and ambulances in the


Philippines, the estimated savings of the government would be tripled - that
is roughly P361,200,000.00 a year. This conservative estimate does not
include the value of the firetrucks and ambulances which is roughly
P846,000,000.00 for the whole country.

While these people have already done so much for us, we have yet to
do our part to recognize and reward their contribution in providing public
order and safety.

This house bill seeks to encourage, promote, strengthen and reward
the practice of volunteerism as a strategy in attaining public safety and
order and to ensure that the voluntary and selfless acts of fire volunteers are
indeed recognized and fairly rewarded. This is the least we can do for them.

U. TY
Partylist


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESNTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session
P3209
2

House Bill No.

Introduced by Representative Amel U. Ty

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE WELFARE OF FIRE VOLUNTEERS IN THE
PHILIPPINES, PRESCRIBING PENALTIES AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS
THEREFOR,

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title - This Act shall be known as the “Fire
Volunteers Welfare Act of 20117.

SEC.2. Declaration of Policy — It shall be the policy of the State
to encourage, promote, strengthen and reward the practice of volunteerism
as a strategy in attaining public safety and order. Towards this end, the
State shall ensure that voluntary and selfless acts of fire volunteers shall be
recognized and fairly rewarded.

SEC.3. Coverage — All fire volunteers in the Philippines who are
at least eighteen (18) years old, have not been convicted of any crime
involving moral turpitude and certified members of a Fire Brigade which is
duly affiliated with Federation and accredited by the Bureau of Fire
Protection shall be entitled to all the benefits provided hereof.

SEC. 4. Medical Benefit - All fire volunteers shall be given free
medical care including subsistence medicines and medical attendance in
any government hospital or institution: Provided That such hospital care


shall include surgery or surgical expenses, medicines, x-rays, laboratory
fees and other hospital expenses.

SEC.5. Scholarship - All fire volunteers shall be granted
scholarship for all competency based training courses or curricula in the
Technical Education and Skills Development {TESDA).

SEC. 6. Financial Assistance - The Department of Interior and
Local Government (DILG) shall provide financial assistance to all fire
volunteers in case of dismemberment or death during the performance of

Nature of Claim Amount of Assistance
Death P50,000.00
Dismemberment P25,000.00

SEC.7. Funeral and Death Benefit — All fire volunteers shall be
entitled to a funeral grant of Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000.00) and their
beneficiaries shall be entitled to financial assistance of Ten Thousand Pesos
(P10,000.00).

SEC. 8. Creation of Fire Volunteers Board - There is hereby
created an agency to be named as Fire Volunteers Board in the Department
of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which shall be composed of Five (5)
members, with the Secretary of Department of Interior and Local
Government as ex officio head and the Fire Chief as ex officio member and
the Undersecretary of the Department of Health (DOH) also as ex officio
member. The remaining members shall come from the Federations of Fire
Volunteers: Provided, That they have been in existence and active for the
last five (5) years prior to this Act. They shall be appointed for a term of two

(2) years cach by the President upon the recommendation of the secretary of
DUG.


SEC.9. Function - The Fire Volunteers Board shall be the central
advisory, planning and policy-making body for development and
implementation of a nationwide Fire Volunteers Fire Fighting and Safety
‘raining Program (Program). The Fire Volunteers Board shall perform the
following functions:

1) The institution of a nationwide Fire Volunteers Fire Fighting and

Safety Training Program.
2) The establishment of a comprehensive fire volunteers monitoring

system.
3) The management of funds for all fire volunteers.

All persons who want to serve as fire volunteers shall undergo and pass this
Program. Once the fire volunteer has passed this Program, the Fire
Volunteers Board shal! issue a certification bearing such information.

SEC, 10. Penalties - The public officer who shall violate the
provisions of this Act shall be punished by a fine of not less than Thirty
Thousand Pesos (P30,000.00) nor more than Fifty Thousand Pesos
(P50,000.00} or suspension, if found guilty in an appropriate administrative
investigation. This is without prejudice with the filing of appropriate criminal
cases.

SEC. 11, Implementing Rules and Regulations - The Department
of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Health (DOH},
and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
Board shall jointly formulate, issue and promulgate the necessary
implementing rules and regulations within ninety (90} days from the
effectivity of this Act.

SEC. 12. Appropriations — To carry out the purposes of this Act,
the amount One Hundred Fifty Million Pesos (P150,000,000.00) shall be
taken from the annual earnings of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office
(Peso).


Sec. 13. Separability Clause - If for any reason, any section or
provision of this Act shall be declared unconstitutional, illegal, or invalid,

SEC. 14. Repealing Clause - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
proclamations and administrative regulations, or parts thereof inconsistent
herewith are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SEC. 15. Effectivity - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15)

days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2)
newspapers of general circulation.

Approved.