Cebu City fire chief bewails low public interest in safety training

SFO2 Wendell Villanueva, expressing his frustration with the public’s indifference to participating in Fire Prevention Training Programs. | Pinky Rondina, CTU Intern

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Despite the increasing number of fires in Cebu City, many residents still ignore fire safety training.

This concern was raised by Senior Fire Officer Wendell Villanueva, information officer of Cebu City Fire Station, during a News Media Forum on Tuesday, April 1.

According to Villanueva, CCFS offers many programs to teach fire prevention and emergency response, but few people participate. 

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“Kanang pipila ka minutos nato nga pagpaminaw sa mga information nga ishare sa atong mga sakop sa Bureau of Fire Protection can save your lives in the future,” he said.

(The few minutes listening to the information shared by our members of the Bureau of Fire Protection can save your lives in the future.)

Villanueva mentioned that programs like Exit Drill in the Home (E.D.I.T.H.) help families prepare for emergencies, and barangay-level trainings aim to build local fire brigades. 

However, he pointed out that many residents disregard these free learning opportunities.

“All our services, especially kaning Fire Safety Seminars and Drills, especially sa kaning Barangay and Sitio, are free na no. Usahay maka-disappoint ba nga walay manunga. Mao ra bitawg despite sa atung efforts, dili gihapon, moingon sila nga balik balik gihapon na, so passive ba,” he said.

(All our services, especially this Fire Safety Seminars and Drills, especially this barangay and Sitio, they are free. Sometimes, it is really disappointing that nobody would show up. It seems that despite our efforts, it’s still not, they would always say that these are all just the same, a repetition, so they are really passive.)

Villanueva expressed frustration over this lack of interest. 

READ: Cebu City fire kills three minor siblings found locked in embrace

He also said that while some fires were unavoidable, many could be prevented if people took safety education seriously.

“What is so frustrating is that wala na kaayoy active involvement or participation ang mga residents. Unya ra magkarakara, mosalmot, moapil og aduna nay panghitabo nga mooccur sa ilahang lugar,” he said.

(What is so frustrating is that there are really no active involvement or participation of the residents. And they would only then hurry to participate, join when something happened to their place.)

The numbers were alarming, said Villanueva. 

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He shared that in April 2023 alone, Cebu City recorded 64 fire incidents, causing P4 billion in damages.

Despite this, awareness and participation in fire safety efforts remains low.

“It’s about time to cooperate and patas-an nato atong enthusiam to get involved na no sa mga nagkalain lain nga fire safety awareness campaign of our Bureau of Fire Protection,” Villanueva said.

(It’s about time to cooperate and increase our enthusiasm to get involved in our different fire safety awareness campaign of our Bureau of Fire Protection.)

The Sitio Avocado, Barangay Mambaling fire incident is a painful reminder of what can happen when safety is ignored. 

Villanueva urged the public to take fire prevention seriously—not just to protect property but to save lives.

The number of tragedies it will take for communities to take fire safety seriously remains uncertain.