PENRO South Cotabato Boosts Forest Fire Readiness with Newly Procured Firefighting Equipment

Koronadal City, July 02, 2025 - To strengthen forest fire prevention and emergency response, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) South Cotabato, under the leadership of PENR Officer Rosalinda Cortez, facilitated the distribution and demonstration of firefighting equipment to its field offices. Through the support of Faith Ventures, the official supplier, a total of six (6) complete firefighting equipment sets were delivered—two (2) sets each for CENRO Banga and CENRO General Santos City, and one (1) set each for the Protected Area Management Offices (PAMO) of Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape (MMPL) and Allah Valley Protected Landscape (AVPL).

Each set includes essential gear such as a brush cutter, collapsible fire pump, heavyduty swatter, firefighting shovel and scrape, mcleod rake, safety goggles, working gloves, safety helmet, safety shoes, combination pick tool, forester’s axe, bolo, and safety masks. Personnel from the recipient offices were called in for a hands-on demonstration conducted by Faith Ventures followed by indoor orientation, teams proceeded outside to test the functionality of the equipment and familiarize themselves with its use. The initiative is part of PENRO South Cotabato’s continuing efforts to equip and prepare field personnel in mitigating forest fire risks—especially in fire-prone landscapes—while strengthening on-ground environmental protection and safety readiness.