Filipino volunteer who saved Outback fire brigade celebrated in Australian Parliament

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — A Filipino immigrant who helped a small Outback town keep its volunteer fire brigade was celebrated in the Australian Parliament on Thursday during a special sitting to welcome Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is on a state visit. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Samson Bocul as an example of the Philippine diaspora’s willingness to give back to the community. Bocul lives in the small South Australia state town of Port Wakefield. The community of 600 people was on the brink of disbanding its fire brigade in 2022 if it could not recruit more volunteer firefighters. Bocul was the only person to respond to the recruitment drive. Albanese said a quarter of Port Wakefield’s brigade are now of Filipino descent and half of the cadets.