ISSN: 1656-8117 SMC Research Journal 1

Implementation of Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan

Program: Its Implication to the Community’s
Fire Prevention Awareness
Khommaidy M. Gandawali
Abulkhayr B. Abdul
Authors
Edelyn S. Quipanes, RCrim, MSCJ
Co-Author

Abstract. This is a study on the Implementation of the Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan Program and Its Im-
plications for Fire Prevention Awareness in the Community. Utilizing a descriptive-correlational research
design, this study aimed to determine the level of fire prevention awareness and the implementation of
the Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan Program in the selected barangays of Iligan City: Tambacan, Poblacion,
Tibanga, Mahayahay, Ubaldo Laya, Saray, Santiago, and Bagong Silang. The study also examined the
correlation between the respondents’ awareness of fire prevention and the implementation of the Oplan
Ligtas na Pamayanan Program. The researchers used a validated self-made questionnaire containing 30
items to measure the respondent’s degree of fire prevention awareness and evaluate the implementation of
the Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan Program. The majority of respondents were well knowledgeable about fire
prevention in terms of fire safety and fire emergency readiness, as determined by the research. The study
demonstrated a correlation between the respondents’ awareness of fire prevention and the implementation
of the Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan Program. This indicates that the implementation of Oplan Ligtas na
Pamayanan has a positive influence on the fire prevention awareness of respondents. Reflecting on the
findings of the survey, it was determined that the respondents are educated, prompting the researchers to
recommend the Enhance Fire Prevention Program to improve and reinforce their fire prevention awareness.

Keywords: Fire Prevention and awareness

8.1 Introduction
Since the dawn of humanity’s discovery of the universe, fire has been an
integral component of our learning process, and it has long been a part of our
daily life. Humans have a variety of uses for fire, but it has always presented
a substantial threat with potentially disastrous results if left uncontrolled. Ev-
ery fire outbreak has a reason, and some typical causes include carelessness,
negligence, or even ignorance on the part of individuals who are affected by
the fire. It leads in the loss of life, significant injuries, and extensive property
damage as a result of negligence and neglect, and the devastation inflicted by
the fire cannot be undone (Soriano, 2011). This component may, in fact, pro-
duce catastrophic events in many countries, cities, or neighborhoods, wreaking
havoc on our own life.
According to residents, one of the city’s most daunting challenges is fire.
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One of the fires that occurred in the town was in Barangay Ubaldo Laya. The
fire started between 2:00 and 4:30 p.m. on May 29, 2019, according to a
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) report. 165 households were impacted, with
73 dwellings completely damaged, two persons injured, and one person dead.
The cause of the fire is still unknown, according to the Iligan City BFP, and
the incident is still being examined. Another incident occurred in Barangay
Tibanga, Iligan City, on January 16, 2021, which is now being investigated.
They believe the fire started in the kitchen of the restaurant where the victims
were eating. The fire raged for more than an hour, completely destroying
the property, which was divided into seven independent businesses (Umel, R.
2021).
During this calamity, the government’s strategy and professionalized com-
munity services, as well as community awareness, are required to save lives
and property. Fire prevention is one of the government’s safety measures pro-
grams, since it is one of the key priorities of local governments to limit the
severity of damage. The set of activities carried out by fire department employ-
ees in order to prevent the onset of fires and their potential severity is known as
fire prevention (D. Man, 2019). The Bureau of Fire Protection is a Department
of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) agency in charge of enforcing
national policies on firefighting and fire prevention, as well as enforcing the
Philippine Fire Code (P.D. No. 1185) (which has since been replaced by the
New Fire Code of the Philippines (R.A. 9514). The public’s participation is
required in government programs aimed at preventing and forecasting poten-
tial threats. Fire prevention education is critical for safety education because
it helps citizens become more aware of and willing to follow risk standard
procedures.
The study’s purpose was to assess community awareness of fire preven-
tion. The study looked at the impact of the BFP’s fire prevention program
on community awareness. This research study was conducted throughout the
course of the academic year 2020-2021.

8.2 Methods
This is a research on the Implementation of Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan
Program and Its Implication to the Community’s Fire Prevention Awareness.
It made used of the descriptive-correlational research design and it sought to
determine the the level of awareness on fire prevention and the implementation
of Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan Program coming from the selected barangays
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in Iligan City which are Barangays: Tambacan, Poblacion, Tibanga, Mahaya-

hay, Ubaldo Laya, Saray, Santiago and Bagong Silang. The study also in-
vestigated the relationship between the awareness of the respondents on fire
prevention and the implementation of Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan Program.
The researchers utilized a validated self-made questionnaire which composed
of 30 questions to assess the respondent’s level of awareness on fire prevention
and to evaluate the implementation of Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan Program.
The respondents were asked to answer the validated self-made questionnaire
started from September 2021 to December 2021.

8.3 Results and Discussion

Table 1.1
Level of Awareness in Fire Prevention of the Respondents in Terms of Fire
Safety

Qualitative
Indicators Mean SD
Interpretation
1. Unattended warm of hot iron will 3.47 .701 Very Often
scorch facric and may cause fire.
2. Food on stove or in an oven shall not 3.49 .702 Very Often
be leave unattended and keep cooking
area free of flammable objects such as
pothholders, towels, and curtains.
3. Frequently test smoke alarms and 3.19 .753 Very Often
make sure it is functioning.
4. Burning candles should be never left 3.59 .628 Very Often
unattended and keep flammable items
like fabric and paper away from candles.
5. Avoid plugging multiple appliances 3.43 .720 Very Often
into an extension.

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Table 1.1
Level of Awareness in Fire Prevention of the Respondents in Terms of Fire
Safety (cont’n)
Qualitative
Indicators Mean SD
Interpretation
6. Electrical cords must not be placed 3.26 .817 Very Often
under a carpet as it is highly flammable.
7. Smoking in bed or while sleepy may 3.43 .720 Very Often
cause fire.
8. Electrical connections must be prop- 3.27 .819 Very Often
erly installed and checked once every
year by licensed electrician.
9. Liquefied Peroleum Gas (LPG) tanks 3.55 .663 Very Often
must be closed when not in use or
before leaving the house.
10. Keep matches and other flammable 3.54 .701 Very Often
materials away from children’s reach.
Over-all Mean 3.42 .580 Very Often

Table 1.1 illustrates the level of awareness on fire prevention in terms of

fire safety by the respondents of selected barangays in Iligan City as a result
of the implementation of fire prevention program. The highest mean was 3.59,
while the lowest was 3.19. This indicates that the majority of target respon-
dents were well aware that "burning candles should never be left unattended,
and combustible materials such as fabric and paper should be kept away from
candles." On the other side, the level of awareness for frequent smoke alarm
tests was the lowest. The overall mean was 3.42, indicating high awareness,
implying that the whole community of respondents was well-informed about
fire safety.
This table’s result indicates how important it is to raise community knowl-
edge about fire prevention programs. This is backed by Mathbor (2017)’s
study, which found that disaster preparedness may be improved by boosting
community capacities, improving education, and improving preventive strate-
gies. Tabassum (2014) claims that training in the form of short courses, semi-
nars, and workshops would provide visitors, users, and occupants of a facility
with the knowledge they need to respond in the event of a fire. He suggested
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that all citizens and school pupils participate in regular fire drills at least once
a year and be educated in the usage of firefighting equipment.

Table 1.2
Level of Awareness in Fire Prevention of the Respondents in Terms of Fire
Emergency Tips

Qualitative
Indicators Mean SD
Interpretation
1. Fire extinguisher must be safely oper- 3.42 .704 Very Often
ated in case of fire.
2. In case of fire, close the door of the 2.78 1.003 Sometimes
burning area to stop the spread of fire.
3. When trapped in a fire hit area, go to a 3.23 .779 Sometimes
room with windows leading outdoors.
4. If clothes catch fire, do not run or panic, 3.18 .886 Sometimes
do the. "Stop, Drop, and Roll"
5. When you are in a building during fires, 3.28 .797 Very Often
use the stairs instead of elevator.
6. Leave all your things where they are and 3.46 .735 Very Often
save yourself.
7. Follow emergency escape plan. 3.44 .734 Very Often
8. Always use fire exit routes. 3.50 .665 Very Often
9. Open a window and make signal for 3.45 .671 Very Often
help.
10. Call for emergency hotline number 3.49 .730 Very Often
911 or the nearest fire department.
Over-all Mean 3.32 .591 Very Often

Table 1.2 illustrates the level of awareness in fire prevention in terms of

fire emergency preparedness in the selected barangays of Iligan City. The tar-
get respondents’ responses were tallied, with 3.50 representing the greatest
mean with the qualitative description "very often" and 2.78 representing the
lowest mean with the qualitative description "sometimes." The findings imply
that the entire community of respondents was well aware of the importance
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of using fire exit routes during fires. The overall mean was 3.32, indicating
that the entire population of respondents was well knowledgeable about fire
prevention and emergency preparedness. This table’s outcome demonstrates
the importance of a fire prevention program in raising community awareness.
According to a study by Ejeta (2015), disaster preparedness is one of the most
essential aspects in disaster risk reduction, and it includes community knowl-
edge, readiness to respond appropriately, and speedy recovery. Abdul Rahim
(2014) found that participating in related fire safety programs was the most
effective way of educating building inhabitants about fire safety. People and
their possessions would be protected from loss due to a fire if they are aware
of and can utilize the available fire safety precautions in a structure.

Table 1.3
Summary of the Respondents’ Level of Awareness on Fire Prevention

Fire Safety Fire Emergency Tips

Scoring Scale
f % Mean QI f % Mean QI
3.25 − 4.00 134 67.0 3.76 VO 127 63.5 3.69 VO
2.50 − 3.24 54 27.0 2.94 S 56 28.0 2.89 S
1.75 − 2.49 9 4.5 2.00 R 14 7.0 2.07 R
1.00 − 1.74 3 1.5 1.47 N 3 1.5 1.47 N
Total 200 100.0 3.42 VO 200 100.0 3.32 VO
Qualitative Interpretation (QI); VO-Very Often, S-Sometimes, R-Rarely, N- Never

Table 1.3 shows the summary of the level of awareness of respondents on

fire prevention awareness in terms of fire safety and fire emergency tips. Ma-
jority of the respondents were very aware on fire safety constitute 67.0% of
total respondents of the study. The target respondents’ responses were tallied,
with 3.50 representing the greatest mean with the qualitative description "very
often" and 2.78 representing the lowest mean with the qualitative description
"sometimes." The findings imply that the entire community of respondents
was well aware of the importance of using fire exit routes during fires. The
overall mean was 3.32, indicating that the entire population of respondents was
well knowledgeable about fire prevention and emergency preparedness. This
table’s outcome demonstrates the importance of a fire prevention program in
raising community awareness. According to a study by Ejeta (2015), disas-
ter preparedness is one of the most essential aspects in disaster risk reduction,
and it includes community knowledge, readiness to respond appropriately, and
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speedy recovery. Abdul Rahim (2014) found that participating in related fire
safety programs was the most effective way of educating building inhabitants
about fire safety. People and their possessions would be protected from loss
due to a fire if they are aware of and can utilize the available fire safety pre-
cautions in a structure.

Table 2.1
Level of Implementation in Fire Prevention of the Respondents Tips

Qualitative
Indicators Mean SD
Interpretation
1. I see the posting of tarpaulins in fire 3.05 .920 Sometimes
stations, Barangay Halls, and Schools.
2. The personnel of BFP conducted 2.90 .962 Sometimes
house-to-house safety information.
3. The personnel of BFP delivered fire 3.11 .914 Sometimes
safety messages in the barangay thru
public address/Rekoreda.
4. The personnel of BFP delivered fire 3.00 .982 Sometimes
safety message thru facebook live.
5. The personnel of BFP conducted commu- 3.06 .944 Sometimes
nity fire pretection plan in the barangay.
6. I see the establishment of evacuation 3.10 .874 Sometimes
areas.
7. I see posting of alarm and evacuation 3.11 .823 Sometimes
signage.
8. The personnel of BFP conducted 3.22 .903 Sometimes
seminars and fire drills.
9. I observed the conducting of immediate 3.28 .844 Very Often
fire fighting equipment such as hose,
buckets and water drums.
10. The personnel of BFP conducted 3.27 .884 Very Often
training on fire safety.
Over-all Mean 3.11 .746 Sometimes

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Based on the perceptions of respondents from selected barangays in Ili-

gan City, Table 2.1 shows the level of awareness about the implementation
of a fire prevention program. The survey’s results are shown in the table,
with 3.28 being the highest mean, indicating "very often," and 2.90 being the
lowest mean, indicating "sometimes." According to the results, the majority
of respondents "observed the conduct of urgent firefighting equipment such
as hose, buckets, and water drums," whereas the number of those who "saw
the conduct of house-to-house safety information" is lower. The results of
this table demonstrate that the majority of respondents witnessed the commu-
nity’s execution of a fire prevention program. Moore (2002) claimed in his
research Community Based Fire Management in Southeast Asia that govern-
ments, particularly in industrialized countries, have spent the majority of their
resources in heavy firefighting equipment rather than training their people in
recent years. In many cases, the failure to educate the growing population can
be seen in the increasing frequency of uncontrolled fires. As a result, in the
early 2000s, raising awareness was seen as a critical factor in achieving suc-
cess in fire prevention, mitigation, and education programs around the world.
In fire management, human values, perceptions, beliefs, behavior, and cultural
norms were deemed just as essential as ecological values. The major purpose
of establishing national, regional, or local Fire Campaigns is to raise aware-
ness and promote engagement of rural populations in wildfire prevention and
management.
Table 2.2
Summary of the Respondents’ Level of Implementation on Fire Prevention

Fire Safety
Scoring Scale
f % Mean QI
3.25 − 4.00 93 46.5 3.76 Very Often
2.50 − 3.24 66 33.0 2.91 Sometimes
1.75 − 2.49 33 16.5 2.07 Rarely
1.00 − 1.74 8 4.0 1.44 Never
Total 200 100.0 3.11 Sometimes
Qualitative Interpretation (QI); VO-Very Often, S-Sometimes, R-Rarely, N- Never

Table 2.2 showed the summary of the level of implementation on fire pre-
vention program based on the perception of the respondents. The majority
of respondents, 46.5 percent of the total respondents to the study, were very
knowledgeable about the implementation of fire prevention programs. This
shows that the community’s awareness of fire safety and prevention has im-
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proved. In relation to the application of fire safety awareness, this study is

supported by Fisbein’s (1975) notion of "Reasoned Action." He stated that, in
order to properly persuade the local populace, gender data and literacy levels
would be useful in determining how much film shows, theater performances,
and other forms of entertainment should be employed during the campaign.
All other government, non-government, and outreach entities must cooperate
and coordinate activities with the fire department. They also work closely with
provincial fire officials, who should be in charge of conceptualization, cam-
paign materials, and facilitator training. Only by combining these approaches
will it be possible to determine if people progress from beliefs to new attitudes
and finally to intents. Moving the human mind from mere goals to changes in
behavior is the challenging final [Link] vehicle.
Table 3
Relationship between Respondents Level of Awareness and Level of Imple-
mentation on Fire Prevention

Variables Kendall Tau p-value

Level Implementation Fire Safety .296 < .001∗∗
Free Emergency Tips .348 < .001∗∗
** Highly Significant at 0.01 level

Table 3 presents the relationship between the respondent’s level of aware-

ness and the level of implementation of Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan program.
In terms of fire safety, the association between level of implementation and
level of awareness is.296 at Kendall Tau, which implies positive and has a
p-value of .001∗∗ . These findings demonstrate that if BFP workers are more
aggressive and active in administering the fire prevention program, community
inhabitants will be better aware about fire safety and prepared for potential fire
occurrences.
This finding is supported by Ardales’ (2004) study, which found that pro-
gram implementation should be stepped up in order to have a stronger influ-
ence on the community. All segments of the Barangay should be encouraged
to participate in the implementation of the initiatives. She went on to say that
more tactics should be used, and that the strategies’ weaknesses should be rec-
tified while their strengths should be maintained (Bitonio, 2013). The crisis
management process can be aided by understanding the degrees of prepared-
ness, which can lead to well-informed plans and judgments. On the other
side, as has been recorded in several disaster categories such as floods and
landslides, hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires, a lack of disaster preparedness
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can have negative economic and societal implications (Wilson et al. 2017).
The association between level of implementation and level of awareness in
fire emergency recommendations, on the other hand, was.348 at Kendall Tau,
which implies positive and has a p-value of.001**. The findings show that
there is a link between the extent of implementation and the level of aware-
ness of fire safety guidelines. This finding is corroborated by Brent Hagel’s
(2016) study, which aimed to examine the influence of a community-based
fire prevention intervention geared at parents on elementary school children’s
fire safety knowledge and behavior. This was done with third and fourth grade
students from an urban, impoverished, minority population who completed
knowledge/behavior assessments before and after the intervention. Fire de-
partment employees paid an in-home visit to the intervention group, installing
free lithium smoke detectors and a fire escape plan. Children whose fami-
lies received a fire prevention intervention showed a moderate improvement
in fire safety behavior, indicating a change in family fire safety practices, ac-
cording to this study. According to Beringer J. (2016) study on Community
Fire Safety at the Urban/Rural Interface, community awareness and education
about fire safety are significant variables in fire prevention, and there are cur-
rently few measures of community fire safety knowledge or attitudes toward
fires. To properly concentrate and implement educational methods for fire-
prone communities, it is critical to first evaluate the present state of knowledge
and awareness in those communities.
The findings of the study shows that there is a significant relationship be-
tween the implementation of Oplan Ligtas na Pamayanan Program and the
awareness of the respondents on fire prevention. Thus, enhancement program
was made to more improve and support the current fire prevention program.

PROPOSED PROGRAM FOR ENHANCE FIRE PREVENTION

PROGRAM IN ILIGAN CITY

Rationale: This program provides for the enhancement of current Oplan Lig-
tas na Pamayanan program of the Bureau of Fire protection’s Fire Prevention
Program. This is appropriate for anyone who has responsibilities and con-
cerns on fire safety awareness and fire emergency preparedness as well as the
implementation of fire prevention program. This is formulated to bring more
awareness in the communities about fire prevention and fire safety education
and to more improve the strategies and activities of the BFP in raising aware-
ness to the public.

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Table 4
Proposed Program For Enhance Fire Prevention Program in Iligan City

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Table 4
Proposed Program For Enhance Fire Prevention Program in Iligan City (Cont.)

8.4 Conclusion
Perception of the people is essential to understand the behavior of an
individual to enhance and suggest changes that will benefit the community.
Connecting it to the study, the perception of the respondents can help to im-
prove their level of awareness in fire safety and to enhance the implementation
of fire prevention program. The findings of this study showed the significant
relationship between the level of implementation and level of awareness on
fire prevention program. Thus, this reflects that the implementation of Oplan
Ligtas na Pamayanan Program has positive impact on the awareness of respon-
dents on fire prevention awareness.

8.5 Recommendations
The researchers recommend the following based on the research locale,
target respondents, and general technique employed in this study:
To the community. Through information dissemination by the Bureau of
Fire Protection, the community should be taught more about fire prevention
programs and become more knowledgeable of what to do in the event of a fire
(BFP).
To the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). They should use the findings of
this study to hold further seminars or events in the barangays on fire prevention
programs in order to raise community awareness and encourage or teach the
community about the benefits and needs of each household by participating in
the activities.
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To the Criminology Students. This study may be of interest to them

because it is connected to their course subjects and topics. This would help
them be more aware about fire prevention in the future when they become BFP
officers or law enforcement officials.
To the Future Researchers. The conclusions of this study would help
them to make better use of the data they’ve gathered in order to support their
future studies. The findings of this survey on residents’ perceptions of the
BFP’s Fire Prevention Programs it would go a long way toward filling in the
gaps in the data and strengthening this research.

8.6 References
Abdul Rahim, N., Taib, M., & Othuman Mydin, M. A. (2014). Investigation
of Fire Safety Awareness and Management in Mall. MATEC Web of Con-
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Ardales. (2004). Research On The Implementation of Fire Prevention. Re-

trieved from [Link]
ON-BFP

Beringer, J. (2000). Community fire safety at the urban/rural interface: The

bushfire risk. Fire Safety Journal, 35(1), 1-23.

Bitonio, J. B. (february 11, 2013). A Masteral Thesis MDM Major in Public

Management PSU, Urdaneta City. Retrieved from [Link]
/document/432646511/RESEARCH-ON-BFP.

Brent Hagel. (2006). Injury Prevention, 12(5), 346-346. Retrieved from

[Link]
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Ejeta LT, Ardalan A, Paton D. Application of Behavioral Theories to Disaster

and Emergency Health Preparedness: A Systematic Review. PLOS Cur-
rents Disasters. 2015 Jul 1 . Edition 1. doi: 10.1371/[Link].31a8995
ced321301466db400f1357829.

Fishbein, M. (1975). Theory of Reasoned Action. Encyclopedia of Health and

Behavior. doi:10.4135/9781412952576.n209
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Man, D. (2019). Research On BFP. Retrieved from [Link]

document/432646511/RESEARCH-ON-BFP

Mathbor, G.M., 20017, ’Enhancement of community preparedness for natural

disasters: The role of social work in building social capital for sustainable
disaster relief and management’, International Social Work 50, 357-369.

Moore, P.F., Ganz, D., Tan L.C., Enters, T. & Durst, P.B. 2002. Communities
in Flames: proceedings of an international conference on community in-
volvement in fire management. FAO & Project FireFight South East Asia,
RAP Publication 2002/25. Pp 133.

Republic Act NO. 9514, Fire Code of the Philippines , Republic of the Philip-
pines (2008, December)

Soriano, G. (n.d.). Performance of the Bfp in Terms of Fire Prevention. Re-

trieved from [Link]
of-the-Bfp-in-Terms-of-Fire-Prevention/462833

Tabassum, S., Ahmed, S., and Romeo, T. M. 2014. "An Investigation on Fire
Safety of Air-Conditioned Shopping Centres at Dhaka City." Asian Jour-
nal of Applied Science and Engineering 3 (2): 20-34.

Umel, R. V. (2021, January 17). Fire guts commercial building in Iligan City.
Retrieved from [Link]
building-in-iligan-city

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