COMPASS Safety Institute delivers the Philippines’ first Local ProBoard HazMat International Certification

Manila/Philippines - February 10, 2026 - COMPASS Safety Institute (CSI) announced the official passers of the Philippines’ first ProBoard HazMat Certification at the Awareness and Operations levels, following the release of assessment results by Pro Board in late January 2026. The training and on-site assessments were conducted on September 08–12, 2025 at the COMPASS Training Complex in Silang, Cavite.

CSI noted that this milestone represents the first ProBoard training and qualification assessment conducted in the Philippines by a local training company. In many cases, Filipino responders pursuing globally aligned professional qualifications have traditionally needed to travel abroad to complete qualification assessments, which can significantly increase the overall cost due to international fees, airfare, accommodations, and time away from work. By delivering the training and assessment locally, CSI aims to help make global-standard credentialing more accessible to responders and safety professionals in the Philippines.

The pioneering class brought together 14 responders from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (DRRMOs), the National Fire Training Institute, private industry, and overseas-based responders (OFW). The program was headed by Mr. Frank Diaz, COMPASS ProBoard/IFSAC Certified Lead Instructor and Partner. Participants completed scenario-based practical assessments and written evaluations designed to validate readiness under realistic operational conditions, including responder safety, hazard recognition, defensive control tactics, containment practices, and incident command coordination.

ProBoard is widely recognized in the fire and emergency services community through its accreditation-based model for professional qualifications. Its approach emphasizes performance-based evaluation, ensuring that certification outcomes reflect demonstrated competence in practical, job-relevant scenarios, not only course completion. For responders, this supports consistent competency benchmarks and strengthens credibility for roles requiring verified operational readiness.

CSI anchored the program on NFPA NFPA 470 competencies for hazardous materials responders at the Awareness and Operations levels. The five-day structure included Awareness and Emergency Response Guidebook application, Operations-level defensive tactics and containment drills, proctored practical skills testing including PPE donning and decontamination lane execution, incident command functions, high-realism scenarios, and written evaluations.

Official list of passers (alphabetical by surname):
Fredie M. Cariaga
Reynand P. Castro
Jarone A. Cruz
Raymart S. De Guzman
Kennedy D. Dimaano
Joevan M. Due
Mark Philip S. Laroya
Reymark O. Llegado
Gerald B. Magdaong
John Henry I. Oducado
Fritz O. Perez
Kennedy U. Sanchez
Jayvin Paul D. Tajan
Ian Emilbert C. Valenzuela

CSI congratulated the passers for completing a rigorous qualification process and reiterated its commitment to building local capability through globally benchmarked training. CSI also shared that succeeding batches are in development and encouraged early inquiries, especially for OFWs coordinating training with vacation schedules, as well as brigades or companies seeking group slots. Flexible payment options may be discussed through official CSI channels.