WHAT ARE THE LAWS COVERING FIRE HYDRANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES?

 WHAT ARE THE LAWS COVERING FIRE HYDRANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES?

Many years ago, someone dismantled the fire hydrant right in front of my house. Not relocated. Dismantled. Removed. Gone. Until today, I have no idea who did it. Was it the village association? The barangay? The LGU? The water concessionaire? Or the fire department itself?

That question becomes frighteningly real when you ask the next one: If my house catches fire, where will the fire trucks get water? And if there is none — who is accountable?

The law, at least, is clear. The primary statute governing fire hydrants in the Philippines is Republic Act No. 9514, the Fire Code of the Philippines of 2008, together with its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations. The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is the lead agency tasked to enforce it.

Under the Fire Code, fire hydrants must be strategically located so firefighters can reach any structure quickly. As a general rule, a hydrant should be within 152 meters (500 feet) of a building. Service radii are typically 250 meters for residential areas and 350 meters for commercial zones. These are not suggestions. These are safety requirements.

Technical standards are also specific. Hydrants must be connected to water mains of at least 6 inches in diameter, capable of delivering around 500 gallons per minute at adequate pressure. They must have standard outlets compatible with BFP equipment, be clearly visible, properly painted, and unobstructed. Parking within five meters of a hydrant is illegal. Tampering with one is a crime.

So the question is not whether the law exists. The question is: who makes sure the hydrant is actually there — and working?

Responsibility depends on location and ownership.

Along public roads, fire hydrants are usually installed and maintained by water districts or water concessionaires such as Maynilad, Manila Water, or local water utilities, in coordination with the LGU and the BFP.

Inside private subdivisions, malls, or industrial parks, hydrants are considered private fire protection systems. During the construction and selling phase, the developer is fully responsible — installation, water supply, pressure, and maintenance — as required under PD 957 and the Fire Code. No Fire Safety Evaluation Clearance, no building permit.

Once the subdivision is completed and turned over, responsibility shifts to the Homeowners’ Association (HOA), under RA 9904, the Magna Carta for Homeowners’ Associations. From that point on, the HOA must maintain, test, repaint, and repair the hydrants, funded by association dues. If the BFP inspects and finds a hydrant defective, it is usually the HOA that receives the Notice to Comply.

In some cases, the internal water system is operated by an external water provider. Even then, while the utility may be responsible for pressure and mechanical components, the HOA remains liable for access, visibility, and obstruction issues.

And yes — even in private subdivisions — the BFP has full authority to enter and inspect hydrants at reasonable times.

The Fire Code also lists prohibited acts: obstructing, tampering, or illegally using hydrants (for car washing or construction, for example). Penalties range from administrative fines to imprisonment if loss of life or major damage results.

Which brings me back to that missing hydrant.

If a hydrant disappears, that is not a small issue. That is a public safety failure. Somewhere, inspections failed. Records failed. Accountability failed.

So here are the questions we should be asking:
 Who conducts regular hydrant inventories? How often are flow tests done? Are inspection results made public? When a hydrant is removed, who authorizes it — and who replaces it?

Fire safety is not just about fire trucks and sirens. It is about something as basic — and as critical — as water being available when seconds matter.

Because when the flames rise, legal explanations arrive too late. What saves lives is a working fire hydrant, right where the law says it should be.

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres iseneres@yahoo.com senseneres.blogspot.com 11-29-2026

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