Even the elements were sympathetic as huge clouds gathered overhead, a brief respite from the intense morning sun. Thirty-one teams—of 450 volunteer firemen—from across the Philippines gathered at the SM Mall of Asia last April 25 to compete in the first Txtfire Olympics and some exhibition exercises.
Rewind to early 2003 when Gerry Chua, owner and manufacturer of Eng Bee Tin, a Chinese-Filipino deli, decided to marry two things he loved most, food and text messaging, with the one thing he feared most, fire. He put his love of sending text messages (“They were mostly jokes, of course,” he admits.) to good use by relaying to all his friends any information about fires around town. Because the endeavor was not shared by many, he decided to fund it on his own by opening Café Mezzanine, of which all profits went to train volunteer firemen.
< height="315" width="420" src="/global//UserFiles/purple engine. " alt="" />
The Txtfire Philippines Foundation Inc. is a non-profitable organization that delivers crucial, and critical information, and up-to-the-minute updates on FIRE situations – its location, gravity, and logistics needed, to disseminate fire alerts, alarms, and information thru an SMS Dispatcher Server.
It has trained 175 thousand volunteer firemen in 17 keys cities nationwide. These are unpaid firemen, whose only reason to train is to be of service when necessary. Well, they do get an official I.D.
From January to mid-April 2010, 800 fires have occurred in Metro Manila. Txtfire has already proven its merits. A great number of those who wanted Chua to stop texting the fire info, has since thanked him for continuing to do so. Some have saved crucial time from avoiding traffic. Moreover, many more were able to save family and property through early warning.
Aside from its regular fire safety drills and seminars, Txtfire now conducts relief operations and outreach programs. For Typhoon Ondoy victims, it mobilized ten truckloads of relief goods.
Eng Bee Tin introduced to the Philippines its brand of multi-flavored hopia in the late 1990s. Hopia is a Chinese pastry, round or dice, filled with sweet mashed mung bean. Through Eng Bee Tin, the ube (purple yam) has become as famous as the original mung bean, thus earning Chua the monicker “Mr. Ube” which he relishes.
< height="315" width="420" alt="" src="/global//UserFiles/mr ube. " /> Gerry "Mr. Ube" Chua
All voluntary and all donation-supported – no sponsor banners and logos present – Txtfire Olympics garnered over P2million in logistics and goods. Moreover, it has the support of the local Philippine National Police. SM Mall of Asia also announced during the event that they will support the event annually.
Back to the Txtfire Olympics, complete with a parade of flags and firetrucks, and fun and games. Pass the Bucket never looked so intensely professional, and the Bended Hose was a test of strength and tactics. The latter also proved amazing in displaying a thousand ways to spray water on onlookers. The Tacloban firemen, an all buff team, won overall. Highlight of the games was an all-female team.
< height="315" width="420" alt="" src="/global//UserFiles/overall winner from tacloban. " /> Tacloban firemen
A cross between fire captain and Father Christmas, Chua kept morale up during the games, while telling everyone to play safe, literally and figuratively. “I feel like I am floating,” Chua describes the emotion of seeing a small dream become a nationwide advocacy, while having fun. Floating on a cloud, that would be. Not on haze.
< height="560" width="420" alt="" src="/global//UserFiles/faye and ebong joson. " /> Hosts Faye and Ebong Joson, the latter was adobo magazine’s Golden Ball Awardee at the adobo Football Cup 2009.
For additional information visit www.txtfire.net.
adobo magazine. The Word on Advertising.
