By Jennifer P. Rendon
As a sanction for violating the ban on mass gathering in June 2021, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-6 will render community service today, July 8.
Senior Superintendent Jerry Candido, BFP – 6 regional director, said it was decided that BFP personnel would hold coastal clean-up, community pantry, and mangrove planting.
The community pantry will benefit 200 residents, who were pre-identified by their village officials. It will be held at the Freedom Grandstand since it has a wider space and near the BFP office.
Those who were selected to avail of the community pantry would come in four batches so that queuing would be orderly, and observance of physical distancing is observed. The beneficiaries will receive rice, eggs, vegetables, and chicken.
Meanwhile, the coastal clean-up would be conducted along the shores of Barangay Sto. Niño Sur in Arevalo district.
It would start at around 5:30 in the morning with at least 50 personnel participating in the activity.
The mangrove planting would be done after office hours at Barangay Hinactacan, La Paz district.
Candido said that Nestor Canong, the head of the Iloilo City Compliance Monitoring Team, already approved their plan.
On July 5, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas directed Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne Baronda and Candido to render community service for violating the ban on mass gatherings last month.
Baronda’s camp said the lady solon has started her own community service by establishing her own community kitchen using her personal funds.
She will also conduct cleanup activities around the city next week.
Baronda initiated her community service even before she received the order from the city government.
The Iloilo City Legal Office recommended community service after it earlier said that the BFP higher office should take cognizance of the violation of quarantine protocols by its personnel.
Atty. Edgar Gil, Iloilo City legal officer, has earlier claimed that what happened during the June 10 BFP inauguration was in violation of Republic Act No.11332 (Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act).
The event was also in violation of Section 4 of Executive Order No. 50-A, Series of 2021 (An Order Imposing Restrictions on Non-Essential Travel of Persons Within and Into Iloilo City and Other Health Intervention Measures to Curb the Sharp Rise of Covid-19 Cases), which states that “mass gatherings of any kind shall be prohibited until 11:59 p.m. of June 15, 2021.”
Mayor Jerry Treñas issued the order on June 3, 2021, as the city reverted to the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) status.
The gathering in question was the blessing and inauguration ceremony of BFP’s substation in Alta Tierra Village in Jaro, Iloilo City.
The event also coincided with the activation of BFP-Iloilo City’s Emergency Medical Services and Fire Motorcycle Unit.
