Early this month, Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced that the DILG) is set to roll out 1,500 firetrucks nationwide over the next one and a half years to address gaps in firefighting equipment and strengthen emergency response capabilities across the country.
The firetrucks will be acquired through a government-to-government agreement with the Republic of Korea, ensuring a direct and transparent procurement process without middlemen.
“Within one and a half years, kumpleto na lahat ang munisipyo, wala na tayong magiging problema. Kumpleto na sa buong Pilipinas,” Remulla said.
With his pronouncement, there is no need for any of our top politicians to make the pretense of using their clout to secure firetrucks for any of Catanduanes’ 11 municipalities just to look good on social media.
Towns still needing a firetruck will get one, regardless of the posturing of local politicians.
*****
On another matter, the DILG chief said the recent nationwide rollout of Unified 911, which provides Filipinos with a single, accessible emergency hotline, will use geolocation to connect callers with local responders who can communicate in the language used in their area.
Not a few DRRM officials have expressed concern about the 911 hotline center based in Metro Manila as callers will be answered by people who will not be able to understand Bicol Catanduanes or any other dialect.
Unified 911’s use of geolocation will at least address this concern but the amount of precious time cut from the previous delay would depend on how long the command center will be able to refer the call to local MDRRMO emergency responders.
It would be better for all concerned to save the 911 number as well as the local emergency numbers (MDRRMO, BFP, PNP and PCG) on their cellphones just in case.
*****
Records of the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office show that in 2025, a total of 12 persons were killed in vehicular accidents, with half of them in the capital town of Virac.
Pandan and San Andres had two deaths each while the other two were from Bato and Panganiban.
Eight of the fatal accidents occurred at night between the hours of 6 PM to 4 AM, while four happened after 1 PM in the afternoon.
This year, the local police have recorded just six fatalities from road mishaps, with less than four months to go before 2026 ends.
And the current statistics do not reflect the actual count, with the Tribune sure of at least one fatality whose family probably chose not to report the incident.
There are likely other significant incidents which do not make it to the pages of the police blotter for one reason or another.
Just recently, a resident of Virac was brought to a local hospital complaining of stomach pain and dizziness, which later turned out to be caused by consumption of poisonous “butete” or pufferfish.
While the patient reportedly recovered from the effects of the powerful neurotoxin tetrodotoxin, local authorities could have reiterated warnings to the populace not to eat pufferfish, the consumption of which is banned under the law.
*****
THE INVENTION. Henry Ford dies and is brought before the pearly gates. There, St. Peter asks him why he should get to enter into the gates and Ford says, “because my creation, the automobile, is the single most popular thing ever invented.”
“Really,” says St. Peter, “what about the creation called ‘woman’?”
“Well,” says Ford, “there is too much protrusion on the front end, the rear end wobbles too much, and it chatters at high speeds!”
St. Peter checks his records and says, “that may be, but according to our records, a lot more men are riding our invention than yours.”