StoriesExplainers
ExplainerUPDATED OCT 2026
How the Ten are chosen
Who can be nominated, who can nominate, and how a field of nominees becomes the year’s Ten.
Compiled from BFP records and published reports3 min read
Every year since 2024, SM Prime Holdings and the Bureau of Fire Protection have searched the fire service for ten people to honor. This is how the search works, as far as the organizers have published it.
Who can be nominated
The search is for uniformed BFP personnel: nearly 40,000 nationwide by SM’s 2025 count, or more than 38,000 in other versions of the same release. Every nominee, finalist and honoree on record holds a BFP rank.
For 2026, the BFP opened nominations to active commissioned officers from Fire Inspector to Fire Senior Superintendent, except regional directors and officers in charge of regional offices, and to non-commissioned officers from Fire Officer 1 to Senior Fire Officer 4.
The ten awards are split evenly between five commissioned officers and five non-commissioned officers, a format the DILG describes as yearly.
- 38,000+uniformed BFP personnel in the pool, 2025
- 5 + 5commissioned and non-commissioned honorees
- 20finalists before the final choice
Who can nominate
Nominations come through the chain of command. Under the 2024 rules, a nominee could be put forward by the highest commanding officer of their BFP unit, by their immediate superior, or by their local chief executive.
In 2024, nominations opened in July and closed on 31 August; one local government repost gave 15 September. In 2026, they closed on 20 July.
From nominees to the Ten
- NominationThrough the unit commander, the immediate superior or the local chief executive.
- National selection interviewsIn 2026, 58 national nominees, drawn from 119 aspirants, were interviewed on 7–8 October and narrowed to 20.
- The Top 20The finalists are announced: on 28 November in 2025, and on 13 October in 2026.
- Final panel interviewsIn 2024, a final screening at SM Prime headquarters on 29 November. In 2026, set for 8–9 November, also at SM Prime headquarters in Pasay City.
- The Board of Judges decidesA board drawn from government, business and civil society picks the Ten.
- Awarding nightSo far in the first week of December: 2 December 2024 and 4 December 2025.
What the judges look for
The 2025 criteria were these four:
- 01Socio-civic involvement
- 02Ingenuity and innovation
- 03Professional achievements
- 04Overall performance
No scoring weights have been published. For 2026, the organizers describe the search as recognizing fire safety and protection, emergency response, community education and resilience-building.
The 2025 Board of Judges
- Usec. Rolando C. PunoChairDepartment of the Interior and Local Government
- Mel Senen SarmientoChairperson, Galing Pook Foundation
- Ernie CeciliaChair, ECOP Technical Working Group on Labor and Social Policy Issues
- Rhoda CaliwaraECOP Governor; President, Women’s Business Council of the Philippines
- Atty. Alexander CabreraChairman Emeritus, PwC Philippines
- VAdm. Alexander P. Pama, AFP (Ret.)ARISE Global Board Member; SM Supermalls Consultant for Disaster Resilience
The judges for 2024 and 2026 have not been found in published reports.
What the Ten receive
- 2024as announced, with BFP medalsEach of the Ten₱250,000, a plaque and the BFP’s Medalya ng Natatanging GawaEach other finalist₱20,000 and the BFP’s Medalya ng Kagalingan
- 2025as awardedEach of the Ten₱250,000 from SM Prime, a plaque and the BFP’s Medalya ng Natatanging GawaEach other finalist₱25,000 and a citation
No prize amounts for 2026 have been found in published reports.