DILG eyes P9-B savings in P15-B fire truck procurement deal

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will procure 1,500 new fire trucks in 2027 at a projected cost of P15 billion to address a shortage in fire-fighting equipment, saying the deal is expected to save the government at least P9 billion.

“Across the Philippines, we have fire trucks that are 40 years old, some of which were acquired as far back as 1986,” Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said during the blessing and turnover of Unified 911 emergency response vehicles on Wednesday.

Remulla said that he and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) officer in charge Wilberto Rico Neil Kwan Tiu recently traveled to South Korea to work on the procurement deal. The BFP is an attached agency of the DILG.

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Under the arrangement, the cost of each fire truck is expected to drop from about P16 million to P10 million. For 1,500 units, this would translate to estimated savings of P9 billion, Remulla noted.

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The DILG earlier said the government would also seek to address longstanding corruption concerns in the BFP’s procurement process.

Graft charges

In March, the DILG sued former BFP chief Jesus Fernandez in the Office of the Ombudsman for graft and corruption, accusing him of receiving P14.7 million in kickbacks from the procurement of ambulances in 2024. Fernandez pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Oct. 2 before the Sandiganbayan Third Division.

In May, charges were also filed in the Office of the Ombudsman against 49 BFP officials linked to alleged anomalies related to the procurement of fire trucks.

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Remulla said on Wednesday that the new procurement is part of the DILG’s broader effort to improve public safety and emergency response capabilities.

He likewise cited the need to strengthen police mobility and expand the use of drones as Quezon province and other areas in Region 4A continue to experience economic growth.

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“My dream is to do what I did in Cavite, where we already have more than enough vehicles for the police. All of you should have mobility,” said the DILG chief who served as provincial governor.

Remulla also stressed the need for coordination among the police, BFP and local governments in ensuring public safety.

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“You cannot have the police working alone. You cannot have the BFP working alone. We need to work together,” he said. /cb