BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – The City Council has opted to defer action on the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Western Visayas’ request to terminate its agreement with the city government concerning the assessment, collection, and remittance of fees for fire safety inspections, building permits, and occupancy permits.
The matter has been referred to the Committee on Rules for further study and the preparation of a recommendation report.
Majority Floor Leader Councilor Grace Parcon emphasized the importance of this study, particularly in light of the challenges posed by the city’s inability to meet the two-day processing requirement for fire safety permits under the Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA).
She pointed out that the city government lacks sufficient personnel to comply with this mandate, making the situation more complex.
Under Resolution No. 2023-1002, dated October 11, 2023, the City Council confirmed the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Iloilo City Government and the BFP – Iloilo City Fire Protection, which facilitated the city government’s role in processing fire safety-related fees.
However, on June 1, 2023, the BFP implemented the Fire Safety Inspection System in compliance with Republic Act 11032 (Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018).
This automated system centralized the assessment and collection of fire code-related fees at the BFP, effectively nullifying the MOA’s provisions.
The council now faces a dilemma as it weighs the implications of the BFP’s automated system against the previously agreed MOA.
The study by the Committee on Rules is expected to shed light on how the city government can align with the updated processes while addressing gaps in personnel and compliance with ARTA.
The implementation of the BFP Fire Safety Inspection System has introduced an automated approach to assessing, collecting, and remitting fire code-related fees, effectively disallowing Local Government Units (LGUs) from performing these tasks.
Under the terms of the MOA between the BFP and the city government, the BFP BFP will accept, receive, and process endorsed applications for occupancy permits from the Iloilo City Government through the Office of the Building Official (OBO), provided that these applications come with complete documentary requirements.
In addition, the BFP will also perform the necessary fire safety inspections based on the applications. If the premises are found compliant, the BFP will issue a Fire Safety Inspection Certificate (FSIC). If non-compliance is identified, a Notice of Disapproval (NOD) will be issued.
It will return the processed application, along with the issued FSIC or NOD and supporting documentation, to the Iloilo City Government through the OBO for further action.
In cases where discrepancies are found in the documents or reports submitted by the OBO, the BFP will immediately inform the Iloilo City Government for resolution.
This framework aimed to streamline collaboration between the BFP and the city government in processing applications and conducting fire safety inspections.
However, with the BFP’s transition to the automated Fire Safety Inspection System, these manual processes have been rendered obsolete, creating a need to reassess and align agreements with the updated system.
This shift renders the agreement between the city government and the BFP – Iloilo City Fire Protection, which deputized the LGU to handle these processes, inconsistent with the current system.
In support of its action, the BFP submitted several documents for the City Council’s review, including Resolution No. 2023-1002, which initially confirmed the MOA between the City of Iloilo and the BFP.
The council’s committee will also review the letter dated October 22, 2024, from FCSupt Felixberto F. Abrenica, DSC, Regional Director of the BFP Region VI, explaining the reasons for rescinding the MOA.
Likewise, the council will review a memorandum dated October 22, 2024, also issued by FCSupt Abrenica, officially rescinding the MOA between the BFP Local Fire Station and the LGU of Iloilo.
The City Council is expected to deliberate further on the above issues to reconcile any conflicts between local agreements and the national policy./PN
