MANILA – In a stern warning, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla has explicitly prohibited fire marshals from selling fire extinguishers to business owners seeking fire safety clearances. Remulla emphasized that any fire marshal caught engaging in such activities would be immediately dismissed. He urged the public to report any violations directly to him.
Remulla, reflecting on his tenure as Cavite governor, mentioned that he had previously disciplined fire personnel involved in similar illegal practices, including the endorsement of fire sprinkler contractors.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has reinforced this stance through Memorandum Circular 2016-016, which strictly forbids its personnel from selling fire extinguishers or endorsing any manufacturers, dealers, or suppliers of firefighting equipment.
During a recent event in Cebu, Remulla encouraged local chief executives to motivate business owners to report any BFP personnel involved in these illegal activities, which also delay the issuance of necessary fire clearances. Under the Ease of Doing Business (EODB) Law, the BFP is required to issue Fire Safety Evaluation Clearances and Fire Safety Inspection Certificates within seven working days.
In addition to addressing the issue of illegal sales, Remulla discussed plans to streamline administrative processes in local government units (LGUs). He aims to reduce the time local officials spend on paperwork, noting that local chief executives currently spend up to 15 hours a week signing various documents. Remulla is pushing for digitalization to simplify these processes, with a goal to reduce the weekly signing time to just one hour by June 30, 2025. The DILG is collaborating with the Commission on Audit and the Civil Service Commission to develop a program that will facilitate this transition.