Manila’s Tanduay, Paco fire stations lobbied for restoration

MANILA, Philippines — The Tanduay and Paco fire stations in Manila – both presumed to be in existence for over a hundred years – might see a better future as the Bureau of Fire Protection’s National Capital Region (BFP-NCR) office plans to lobby for their restoration.

Last Jan. 14, around eight volunteers from the Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista Atbp. Lugar Inc. or KKB, a group that promotes heritage conservation and offers tours in the Quiapo area, partnered with the Tanduay fire station to conduct a cleanup of the premises.

Aside from the various spaces and equipment in the structure, the volunteers and BFP personnel also cleaned an old fire truck stored there – a 1932 American LaFrance ladder firetruck, presumably with a 160 horsepower engine.

While most of the firetruck has become rusty, the cleanup revealed the original chrome color of the manufacturer’s logo and body, which was later painted in red as color of the firefighting service, and the leather-covered seat.

At least five BFP firefighters used a fire hose to douse water on the old firetruck. Afterwards, they and KKB volunteers helped in wiping its parts.

The Tanduay fire station has been around since May 25, 1904, and the structure remained practically the same through the years, according to Peter Rallos, a physician also working as a KKB volunteer.

The ground floor that contains the firetrucks and the command center is made of bricks while the second floor, which serves as the barracks, is all wood with tin roofs.

At present, the structure contains a fire bell that should be rang only for emergencies, as well as a Gamewell fire alarm device that contained a four-digit code – 1317 – that identified as the Tanduay fire station whenever a fire incident occurred.

It was one of four fire stations – which also included Paco, Intramuros and Sta. Cruz – that American occupants saw upon arriving in the country, Rallos told The STAR.

The firefighting service in Manila started as composed of only volunteers like prisoners and street sweepers.