LEGAZPI CITY (PIA) — The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) announced that starting this year, all Fire Code fees and other revenues in the Bicol region will go into a trust fund dedicated to the bureau’s modernization program, according to the region’s top fireman.
Speaking at the kickoff ceremony of the Fire Prevention Month in Legazpi City last Monday, BFP Regional Director Achilles Santiago said the BFP’s modernization will help the bureau respond better to emergencies, prevent and suppress fires, investigate their causes and enforce fire safety regulations.
Santiago said that the change in the BFP’s budgeting system is part of the provisions of RA 11589 or the BFP Modernization Act.
Section 7 of the law, titled “BFP Modernization Trust Fund,” provides that the BFP has exclusive rights to use its revenues generated from fire code fees collected from clients.
The BFP Modernization Trust Fund comprises 80 percent of the revenue generated by the BFP from all clients who pay taxes, fees, and fines under RA 9514 or the Fire Code of the Philippines.
Prior to RA 11589, Fire Code fees collected by the BFP were remitted to the National Treasury and became part of the general fund of the government.
Under the old Fire Code of the Philippines enacted in 1977, all fees, fines, and revenues collected from fire code enforcement were not directly retained by the BFP.
Instead, they went into the general government fund, where allocation depended on the national budget process.
This setup often led to insufficient funding for the BFP, as the agency had to rely on budget appropriations from Congress, which were often inadequate for modernization and operational needs.
Santiago said RA 11589 changed this by creating the Fire Code Trust Fund, allowing the BFP to directly retain and use the funds for fire safety improvements, equipment procurement, and personnel training.
In 2024, the BFP generated P103,056,049.84 from fire code fees in Bicol. (PIA5)
