Lack of Fire Safety and Nasty Bathrooms in the Philippines

According to the Bureau of Fire Protection 15 municipalities in the Eastern Visayas do not have their own fire stations which puts the lives and properties of residents at risk. 12 of these municipalities are islands which means they are practically out of reach of any help should a fire occur.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1877484/15-towns-in-eastern-visayas-have-no-fire-stations-says-bfp

A total 15 municipalities in Eastern Visayas do not have their own fire stations, putting at risk the lives and properties of their residents, a Bureau of Fire and Protection (BFP) official revealed.

Senior Supt. Randy Mendaros, assistant regional director of the BFP, said 12 of these areas are island-municipalities. These are Maripipi in Biliran province; Almagro, Daram, Sto. Niño, Tagapul-an, Talalora, and Zumarraga, all in Samar province; and Biri, Lapinig, Rosario, San Vicente and Victoria in Northern Samar.

The other towns without fire stations and fire equipment are Llorente, General MacArthur, and Mercedes, all in Eastern Samar.

Eastern Visayas has 136 municipalities and seven cities in the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Northern Samar, Samar, and Eastern Samar.

The reason for the absence of fire station in these municipalities is because local governments have not donated appropriate lots where they can be constructed. 

The 15 municipalities do not have their own fire stations in the absence of lots, which are supposed to be donated by the local governments, where these can be constructed, Mendaros revealed.

According to Mendaros, the usual practice was for the BFP to build the fire station and provide the equipment on a property donated by the local government unit (LGU).

There were LGUs that were willing to donate lots but in one instance, a property was rejected by the BFP since it was located in a hazard-prone area, he added. In the absence of fire stations in these 15 towns, the nearest fire station must help put out the fire should a fire break in one of these municipalities, said Mendaros.

But because of the distance, the fire trucks were expected to arrive at least 30 minutes at the fire scene and not within the 10-minute ideal response time.

Aside from the lack of fire stations, he revealed there were only 248 firetrucks across the region, 27 of which were not serviceable or under maintenance, while 168 of the 769 fire hydrants across in the region were not functioning.

Do local governments not care about their own constituents or themselves? Why would they donate useless lots to the BFP? Perhaps a wider investigation should be carried out to ensure that these municipalities have proper fire stations and penalize LGUs who burden the process. But in the Philippines it will probably take a barangay captain's house burning down before any decisive action is taken.

Bathrooms in the Philippines are notoriously nasty, foul places. Lack of toilet paper and running water are just two of the problems. Now one Cebu City councilor is calling out Cebu City establishments for this very problem.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/546613/cebu-city-councilor-calls-out-foul-unhygienic-restrooms-of-establishments

“Foul and unhygienic” comfort rooms in various establishments caught the attention of Cebu City Councilor Jun Alcover.

In his privileged speech during the council’s regular session on Wednesday, December 20, he raised concerns about unsanitary comfort rooms in establishments in Cebu City.

"I just want to convey an observation to the establishments in the city, it's a small thing from our point of view but it has a big impact on our visitors; the dirt in the comfort rooms in other establishments,” Alcover stated.

Let's stop here. Why are unhygienic bathrooms a "small thing from our point of view?" Whose point of view is he talking about? Filipinos? Cebu City's? It's an odd thing to say because nasty bathrooms impact everyone who will use them not just visitors.  This man is practically undermining his speech by calling it "a small thing from our point of view."

He noted that the “foul and unhygienic” state of comfort rooms would be a concern as the city will expect an influx of visitors exploring malls and other establishments during this festive season leading up to Christmas and Sinulog in January.

"This is a reflection of how dirty the establishments are, no matter how handsome the outsiders are, if your CRs are dirty, it really reflects the personality of the establishment," he said.

Alcover stressed the need for businesses to recognize that the condition of their comfort rooms reflects the personality and standards of their establishments.

"There is still a hotel, a big hotel, when [I] was there, the comfort room smelled really bad. I went to the parlor, the comfort room was almost ruined. Gas station, perting baao, CR is still broken. Restaurants, comfort rooms are dirty," he stressed.

During his recent rounds in the city, Alcover noted instances of poorly maintained comfort rooms, citing examples of unclean facilities, malfunctioning flush systems, and broken amenities.

These observations were not limited to a single type of business but included hotels, gas stations, and restaurants.

With this, Alcover urged establishments to take responsibility for maintaining the cleanliness of their comfort rooms not only during the holiday season but consistently throughout the year.

He emphasized that collective efforts from both the public and private sectors are crucial to achieving a cleaner and more appealing environment for locals and tourists alike.

Did this man go undercover to various establishments and test out their bathrooms? It's simply too bad he makes this issue one about image. It's about cleanliness and health. Are we not still in the midst of a pandemic where the authorities are carping about following minimal health standards? Bathrooms should be cleaned whether or not visitors from out of town are coming to shop. 

At least he has an action plan. Let's see what it is. 

Moreover, to address the cleanliness concerns raised in his privilege speech, Alcover has proposed a series of actions.

Firstly, he called on business establishments to prioritize and maintain the cleanliness of their comfort rooms, emphasizing the impact it has on the overall impression of the city.

Secondly, he moved to request the Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) to intensify sanitary inspections in major establishments, including malls, tourist spots, and gas stations.

Lastly, he further requested the CCHD to submit a report every 15 days, detailing the results of their sanitary inspections.

Alcover hopes to instigate changes in the cleanliness practices of establishments in Cebu City, creating an environment that aligns with the standards set by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama for a cleaner and more organized city, akin to the renowned cleanliness standards of Singapore.

"If all the comfort rooms are clean, we can really reach what the mayor calls Singapore-like [Cebu City]," he said.

Regular inspections by the City Health Department are actually a good idea. But sadly he ends with an appeal to image saying clean comfort rooms will help Cebu City become Singapore-like. I hate to break it to him but Cebu is not going to be like Singapore simply because the bathrooms are clean. Has he been to Singapore? The entire city is clean and their public transportation is leagues apart from any public transportation system in the Philippines. 

It's sad that the image of the city is his primary concern and not the health of residents. Calling out establishments for being disgusting is good but health should be the first concern and not the image of the city. He is right but for all the wrong reasons.