ILOILO City — As this city braces for the surge of crowds and Dinagyang Festival activities, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has activated a comprehensive fire safety and rapid-response plan designed to protect both festival venues and residential communities, even as thousands of Ilonggos head outdoors for the celebration.
Fire Superintendent Melanie Habawel, the city fire marshal, said BFP is adopting a balanced deployment strategy this year, ensuring that fire trucks and personnel are not concentrated solely along major festival routes and judging areas, but are also strategically positioned in key residential zones across the city.
Habawel noted that while no fire incidents were recorded during the Dinagyang highlights in the past two years, historical data shows that previous festivals coincided with major fires, particularly in densely populated communities.
For Dinagyang 2026, she said, fire trucks will remain on standby not only in the City Proper and the three judging areas but also in residential districts such as Barangay Tanza, parts of City Proper, and the Molo district.
“Waay namon gin-commit ang tanan namon nga fire trucks didto sa Dinagyang judging areas because nagabantay man kita sa areas nga identified may history sang sunog in the past,” Habawel said.
To further strengthen its preparedness, the BFP Iloilo City has coordinated with volunteer firefighting groups, including the ICAG Fire Volunteer Brigade and the Federation Iloilo Fire Brigade Inc., to augment monitoring and ensure quicker response times in case of emergencies.
Habawel emphasized that residential fires remain a major concern, ranking second among the leading causes of fire incidents in the city. With many families expected to leave their homes to watch festival activities, she urged residents to exercise extra caution before heading out.
“Sa aton mga pumoluyo, maging careful and mag-observe gid sang fire safety inside our homes. Dapat mangin matinatapon or responsible sa mga electrical nga mga gamit sa sulod sang panimalay or electrical appliances. Mangin mahinalungon kita and then likawan naton ang bagay nga puede maka-cause sang sunog,” she said.
Habawel also warned against unattended kitchen fires and open flames, advising residents to ensure that all stoves, embers, and candles are fully extinguished before leaving their houses.
“Magtawag gilayon sa aton talatapan because the earlier that they could contact kag makapabalo sa amon nga may ongoing fire, the earlier nga maka-dispatch sang team para malikawan nga magdaku ang sunog,” she added./PN
