The Pangasinan Star ONLINE

Bernabe Dy, Jr. is group’s new prexy


PANDA Fire Brigade, a volunteer Filipino-Chinese firefighting group based in Dagupan City marked a well-deserved milestone yesterday with a celebration at the Grand Ballroom of the Star Plaza Hotel in Dagupan City attended by city officials and a grateful community.

Leading the Dagupan Chinese-Filipino Community Association-Panda Volunteer Fire Brigade’s 25th anniversary celebration was the newly-inducted president Bernabe A. Dy, Jr. whose family has been part of the Panda history since inception.

Panda Volunteer Fire Brigade started with a one-truck fire crew to and grew into a formidable four-truck fire group today, equipped with modern firefighting apparati and well-trained firefighters whose skills have been tested and earned praise in big fires in the city and environs the past two decades.

It also inaugurated last Nov. 12 its new fire station along A.B. Fernandez Avenue East at the groundfloor of the new, imposing J.F Bernabe Dy building. The original fire station located along Arellano St.., will be retained as a sub-station, Dy. said.

Sworn in as new officers of the association, aside from Dy, were: Ronie Albarillo, vice president; Allan Bernabe, executive secretary, Danny Cuna, sub-secretary; Rolly B. Chua, treasurer; Kerwin Bruce Lee, sub-treasurer ; William Chan, auditor; Johnson Lim, press relations office; John Tan, fire marshal with deputies William Tan, Jojo Lim, Danny Caras and Ferdinand Tinquico; and Peter Fernandez, Jesus Uy, Joseph Hufano and Aurelio Lee as directors.

Outgoing president Guanson Lo is ex-officio director.

The new officers and fire marshal and deputies took their oath of office before President Gerie T. Chua, president of the Association of Philippine Volunteer Fire Brigade.

The dinner induction ceremonies held at the Panda’ fire brigade’s new station had Gen. Rogelio F. Asignado, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) chief as guest of honor and speaker.

Asignado, in his speech, congratulated the new officers and the volunteer spirit behind their organization. He described the new Panda headquarters as “the most beautiful volunteer firefighter station in the whole country.”

The Dagupan Filipino-Chinese Community Association (DFCCA) Panda Volunteer Fire Brigade today has 186 active members. Its trained fire crews work by shifts and are almost always arriving ahead of regular firemen in local fire scenes.