StoriesCeremonies
Ceremony2 DEC 2024
The first Ten: TOFF’s inaugural night
In 2024, SM Prime and the Bureau of Fire Protection began a yearly search for the country’s outstanding firefighters. The first ten were honored on 2 December.
Compiled from BFP records and published reports3 min read
The Ten Outstanding Firefighters of the Philippines began with an agreement. On 27 June 2024, SM Prime Holdings and the Bureau of Fire Protection signed a memorandum of agreement at SM Prime headquarters to hold the search every year.
At the signing were SM Prime President Jeffrey Lim, Executive Committee Chairman Hans Sy, BFP Director Louie Puracan and SM Supermalls Vice President Liza Silerio, with BFP Chief Superintendent Renato Capuz as witness.
“This is the first awards we in SM Prime have launched…”
The call for nominations
Nominations opened in July 2024 and closed on 31 August. Nominees had to be put forward by the highest commanding officer of their BFP unit, their immediate superior or their local chief executive. Each of the ten winners was promised a plaque and ₱250,000, and each of ten other finalists ₱20,000.
- 27 JUN 2024 Agreement signed At SM Prime headquarters.
- JUL 2024 Nominations open Through the chain of command or the local chief executive.
- 31 AUG 2024 Nominations close One local government repost gave 15 September.
- 29 NOV 2024 Final screening The Top 20 at SM Prime headquarters.
- 2 DEC 2024 Awarding night SMX Convention Center Manila, Pasay City.
- 18 DEC 2024 BFP medals For the Ten and all twenty finalists.
The night
On 2 December 2024, ten members of the BFP were honored at SMX Convention Center Manila as the first Ten Outstanding Firefighters of the Philippines. Among the officials were DILG Undersecretary for Public Safety Serafin Barreto Jr., SM Prime President Jeffrey Lim and the BFP’s Deputy Chief for Administration, OIC FCSUPT Jesus Fernandez.
The Top 20 had faced a final screening three days earlier, on 29 November, at SM Prime headquarters, according to BFP Region IX.
The first Ten
Five commissioned and five non-commissioned officers, from eight regions and BFP National Headquarters. The BFP listed them on its Facebook page on 3 December.
- FSUPT Jessie S. AnnasiwFormer Benguet Provincial Fire Marshal · Cordillera Administrative Region
- FSUPT Manases G. BautistaProvincial Fire Marshal of Cebu · Region VII
- FSUPT Roderick DJ MarquezCity Fire Marshal, Olongapo City · Region III
- FSUPT Christopher M. MoralesDistrict Fire Marshal, Zamboanga City · Region IX
- FSINSP Gabriel G. SolanoBFP National Headquarters
- SFO3 Katrina M. CahiligBongabong Fire Station, Oriental Mindoro · MIMAROPA
- SFO1 Raymart S. De GuzmanBFP National Headquarters
- FO2 Joe Mc Lien G. FlorinLas Piñas City Fire Station · NCR
- SFO3 Girlie May D. GimoteaIloilo · Region VI
- SFO1 Daryl N. GuiananPilar Fire Station, Sorsogon · Region V
The organizers’ release pictured SFO3 Gimotea being congratulated by the officials, and the Baguio Herald Express reported that FSUPT Annasiw received a plaque and ₱250,000 at the ceremony.
Medals from the BFP
By orders dated 18 December 2024, the BFP gave each of the Ten its Medalya ng Natatanging Gawa, the Outstanding Achievement Medal, and all twenty finalists its Medalya ng Kagalingan, the Medal of Merit.
Ten other finalists completed the Top 20. One of them, FSINSP Zardoz V. Abela of Biliran, was named to the Ten a year later. See all twenty on the 2024 batch page.