The hearts behind the helmets
HONOREES From left: Bernard Sureta, Dianne Daphne Bruno, Donn Canlas Anloague, Jan Vincent Alba, Zardoz Abela, Bartolome Beliran, Josephus Franco Alburo, Karl Aerole Rojales, Julius Mangrubang and Lloyd Casilao Francisco —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The holidays this year may feel a little dimmer, with many Filipinos weighed down by political noise.
But the stories of the 2025 Ten Outstanding Firefighters of the Philippines—selected from more than 38,000 firefighters nationwide—remind us that selfless service is still very much alive.
Bernard Sureta never imagined becoming a K9 handler, as he didn’t even like dogs at first. But public duty reshaped him. This year, he joined the first international humanitarian mission of the Bureau of Fire Protection to Myanmar after the magnitude 7.7 earthquake. At home, he offers free training sessions for fur parents in Camarines Norte.
Bartolome Beliran, a 1995 nursing board topnotcher, has turned environmental stewardship into a community fitness movement. Through Bumbyahero, he has promoted biking and helped plant 10,300 trees and 6,300 mangroves to date.
READ: Environmental stewardship is collective
Advocates
Lloyd Francisco has given Aeta students a chance to finish senior high school through Hands Across the Border, a Philippine Canadian initiative he cofounded. He paired this with a goat-raising livelihood program for their parents and led outreach missions bringing food, school bags and learning supplies to remote sitios.
The rest of this year’s honorees—Josephus Alburo, Donn Anloague, Zardoz Abela, Julius Mangrubang, Dianne Bruno and FSINSP Karl Aerole Rojales—introduced innovations in digital systems, community training, safety education and emergency operations.
In recognition of their work and impact, SM Prime awarded each of the 10 honorees a P250,000 cash prize.
The class of 2025 shows that the country’s bravest aren’t defined only by the emergencies they face, but by the lives they quietly transform.
READ: Legarda calls for active engagement in environmental stewardship on Arbor day
