FIRE SAFETY. More than 300 residents from Barangay Addition Hills join a fire safety campaign for local communities at the Andres Bonifacio Integrated School in Mandaluyong City on Saturday (Nov. 19, 2022). Local volunteer leaders trained and educated the participants through activities and games. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – The Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF), with support from the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a fire safety campaign for local communities at the Andres Bonifacio Integrated School in Mandaluyong City.
During the event last Saturday, local volunteer leaders trained and educated more than 300 participants from Barangay Addition Hills through activities and games.
In a statement on Monday, the TFCF said these local volunteers underwent a series of training, simulation activities, and fire drills to strengthen their leadership skills.
"The programs also include making community maps and fire safety equipment on the streets, which are accessible to the residents," it read.
Such programs, it said, have a "massive impact" to these communities by ensuring local leaders are ready to respond to fires and have access to fire extinguishers and first aid kits provided by the TFCF.
The beneficiaries of the TFCF's housing support, community environment improvement and community patrol programs presented their testimonies during the event.
"With those programs, the organization works with families to replace their houses with flammable and fire-resistant materials," it said.
A TFCF survey from 2020 to 2021 showed 63 percent of families in Barangay Addition Hills are living in homes prone to fire.
"With this event, the families learn and understand the significance of hazard preparedness. They also gain a lot of learnings that they are going to share with their families and with other members of the community," it said.
The TFCF is a non-government organization founded 72 years ago in Taiwan and is sponsoring 120,000 children in 34 countries, including the Philippines.
The TFCF started its mission in the Philippines in 2019. (PNA)
