Justine Baybay poses with BFP Regional Director Samuel Tadeo after receiving the Award of Commendation (PHOTO FROM BFP).
The 17-year-old boy who earned praise for rescuing a month-old baby from their burning house in Sitio Taguntongan, Barangay Suba, Cebu City last October 25 was awarded yesterday morning by the Bureau of Fire Protection in Central Visayas (BFP-7).
Justine Larry Baybay, a trisikad driver, was given an Award of Commendation by BFP Regional Director Samuel Tadeo.
“Gusto namin na pamarisan din ng ibang kabataan yung ginawa niya kasi magandang bagay po yun. Tsaka pinapakita din po namin na ang Bureau of Fire Protection ay hindi makakayanan yung trabaho kung wala din yung tulong ng komunidad (We want other youths to follow his (Justine’s) example. This is also to show that the Bureau of Fire Protection is unable to accomplish the task without the help of the community),” said Tadeo.
In a program held after the flag-raising ceremony at the fire station, Baybay was also given groceries worth around P5,000.
Also present in the program was Baybay’s mother and siblings.
According to Tadeo, Baybay will also be given the opportunity to attend fire fighting training after he expressed interest to become a fireman.
In an interview with Baybay, he narrated that he was helping put out the fire when he heard screams from the second floor of a house.
There he saw the mother with her month-old baby in the terrace asking for help.
Baybay said he immediately piled up soft drink cases and laundry to serve as his ladder in reaching the terrace.
After receiving the baby, the mother was able to go down easily as well.
Baybay, who hails from the neighboring barangay of Sawang Calero, was driving his trisikad when he chanced upon the fire scene.
Tadeo said that without Baybay’s help, there would have been an increase in the number of fire casualties in the region this year.
As of November, the BFP recorded 33 deaths from fire all over region 7, of which half came from Cebu City alone.
Last year, the BFP-7 recorded only six persons killed in the fire.
The heroism of Baybay, Tadeo added, also paved way for BFP’s goal to train more fire volunteers in the barangays.
Tadeo said they will hold fire-fighting trainings for the members of the community so they can help the BFP when the fire breaks out in their area.
“Dun din namin nakita yung importansya talaga ng mga barangay fire volunteers (That’s when we see the importance of barangay fire volunteers),” he said.
The fire in Sitio Taguntongan razed 66 houses and left 542 people homeless while damage was estimated at P500,000.