Featured image above:
Officials from Meralco, BFP, and the City of Pasig led the inauguration and blessing of the Meralco Fire Sub-Station. From left are: Meralco Vice President and Head of Facilities, Safety, and Security Management Eng’r Antonio M. Abuel Jr.; Pasig City Fire Marshall Supt. Elaine Evangelista; BFP Chief Fire Director Louie S. Puracan, CEO VI; Pasig City Mayor Victor Ma. Regis ‘Vico’ N. Sotto; Meralco President and CEO Atty. Ray C. Espinosa; Meralco Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan; Pasig City District Representative Roman T. Romulo; Pasig City Administrator Atty. Jeronimo U. Manzanero; and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) City Director Visitacion C. Martinez, CESO. (Image supplied)
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PASIG CITY, 25th March 2023 – The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) inaugurated today, Saturday, a new fire sub-station in Pasig, marking a significant milestone in their joint efforts to strengthen emergency response and promote public safety.
The Meralco Rescue Fire Sub-station, located within the power distributor’s Ortigas headquarters, will serve as the power distributor’s fire emergency response center, training facility for firefighters and rescue teams, and a direct line of the BFP to Meralco’s System Control so that power can quickly be switched off in areas serviced by the distribution utility should these be hit by fire.
It will also house the Meralco Fire Brigade and its specialized equipment such as fire trucks, water tankers, rescue tenders, and rescue boats. The new sub-station complements the operations of BFP-Pasig and will serve not just the needs of Meralco but also that of nearby cities like Pasig and Mandaluyong.
Pasig City District Representative Roman T. Romulo thanked Meralco for the partnership. He emphasized the importance of the partnership between the government and the private sector to public service.
“This fire station, along with the fire trucks, is a big help to our district. We’d like to again thank Meralco, and we hope that you will never tire of helping and supporting the local and national government.”
“This will be of great help to the City of Pasig and the Bureau of Fire Protection,” concurred Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, adding that Meralco’s fire brigade team is already joining emergency response activities of BFP-Pasig.
The construction of the fire sub-station is aligned with the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by Meralco and BFP last year, through which they committed to collaborate to organize, train, and operationalize a fire brigade team based inside the Meralco Operating Center in a bid to help in immediately responding to fire incidents in the nearby communities and other slow-onset emergencies within Meralco’s franchise area. This will significantly contribute to the BFP’s goal of reaching the target firegrounds within the ideal response time of five to seven minutes.
BFP Chief Fire Director Louie S. Puracan, for his part, said: “We are very thankful for this partnership because this is a great example of a public and private collaboration. Fire prevention is everybody’s business. We hope that this new fire station will help us with our mandate to save lives and properties.”
“This represents the commitment of Meralco, an enduring commitment to service our community and our own people and this fire station as well as the Meralco Fire and Rescue Brigade is dedicated to the people of Pasig and the Meralco family,” Meralco President and CEO Atty. Ray C. Espinosa said.
For Meralco, beyond ensuring the safety of its operations and its employees, it is also important to extend support to the government in promoting public safety that will in turn protect lives and properties.
“We’re privileged and honored to build this facility not only to service the requirements of Meralco here in Ortigas but also to serve the people and citizens of the City of Pasig and its surrounding communities,” concluded Meralco Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan.
With safety as one of its key priorities, Meralco has been a long-time partner of the BFP in promoting fire prevention and safety awareness. Just recently, the power distributor partnered with the BFP-Pasig for the conduct of a joint drill inside the Meralco compound as part of the first quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill for 2023. They also regularly conduct fire safety and prevention trainings and electrical safety seminars to educate the public.
The new Meralco Fire Sub-Station is located inside the Meralco Operating Center and will house the Meralco Rescue Fire Brigade and its specialized equipment such as fire trucks, water tankers, rescue tenders, and rescue boats. (✓)
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News Release