Bacolod gets PHP 45 million Megaworld fire station

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — A modern fire station will soon rise inside Megaworld’s The Upper East, strengthening emergency response capabilities within the 34-hectare township and nearby communities while reinforcing the city’s commitment to resilience and public safety.

Property giant Megaworld announced Wednesday that it allocated more than 2,000 square meters of land to the Bacolod Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. for the construction of the PHP 45 million, two-story facility.

The facility can accommodate about 20 emergency response vehicles, including fire trucks and ambulances, and will include a four-story drill tower to provide firefighters with a dedicated training facility to enhance operational readiness and emergency response skills.

It will also feature a state-of-the-art operations command center, administrative offices, a lecture and training room, a receiving area, dedicated lockers, sleeping quarters, comfort rooms for male and female personnel, an exercise area, a kitchen, a pantry, and storage and utility spaces.

In a statement, Don Earl Caagbay, head of Megaworld Estate Management, said the initiative reflects the company’s long-term commitment to creating safer and stronger communities in areas where it builds townships.

“We believe that building sustainable townships also entails investing in infrastructure and essential services that enable communities to thrive, remain resilient, and stay protected,” he added.

The city currently has one central fire station, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Bacolod, and nine fire substations.

The nearest substation to the township is the Lopez Jaena fire substation.

The Upper East is Megaworld’s 34-hectare township development in Bacolod City, located on the former site of the Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company on the eastern side of the city.

The township is home to several themed residential developments, including the 26-story Kensington Sky Garden, Megaworld’s tallest residential tower in the Visayas.

It also hosts Bacolod’s first LEED-certified office building, No. 1 Upper East Avenue, a McDonald’s store, and the Philippines’ biggest Landers Superstore.

Megaworld earlier said The Upper East would feature office towers, commercial centers, tourism and leisure facilities, recreational parks, and open spaces as part of its mixed-use township concept.

It also has an upcoming 300-room Kingsford hotel, Megaworld’s first hotel development in the Negros Island Region.

Meanwhile, the BFP-Negros Island Region signed a memorandum of agreement for the Adopt-a-Forest Program with the city government Tuesday, marking a step toward environmental conservation and sustainable development.

Mayor Greg Gasataya and Fire Chief Supt. Rodolfo Denaga, BFP-Negros Island Region director, led the ceremonial signing for the adoption and co-management of a 4,000-square-meter area within the Bacolod City Eco-Park in Barangay Felisa.

The city government will provide the necessary seedlings, while both parties will work together in nurturing, protecting, and maintaining the area until the seedlings mature into trees that will benefit future generations.