COMPASS Safety Institute (CSI) graduated its Pro Board accredited NFPA 1041 Instructor I cohort on Feb 20, 2026 in Silang, Cavite, completing a five day run that began Feb 16 and culminated in written and skills assessments, witnessed by guests from key national and local agencies.

Silang, Cavite, Philippines – COMPASS Safety Institute (CSI) marked a major milestone on February 20, 2026, with the graduation ceremony of its Pro Board accredited NFPA 1041 Instructor I Certification Course at CSI’s training hub in Silang. The ceremony capped a five day face to face run that began on February 16, culminating in written and skills assessments that measured each participant’s readiness to design, deliver, and evaluate training aligned with recognized competency standards for fire and emergency services instruction.

The February batch graduated 21 trainees representing a cross sector cohort from Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) (10), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) (8), CSI (1), Makati City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (Makati DRRMO) (1), and PowerChina Philippines Corporation (1). Throughout the course, participants strengthened core Instructor I competencies, including applying adult learning principles, adapting lessons for varying operational environments, presenting and demonstrating skills effectively, evaluating student performance objectively, and producing lesson plans, training schedules, and training documentation aligned with accreditation expectations under The Pro Board.

The graduation also drew a wider circle of partners and observers, with guests and visitors representing national and local government, uniformed services, aviation rescue and firefighting, humanitarian response, and training institutions. Updated attendance for February 20 included delegations from the Philippine Public Safety Academy, the National Fire Training Institute, and the Philippine Coast Guard, alongside representatives from the Philippine Air Force and the Philippine Red Cross. Local DRRM leaders were also present, including the Bataan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and the Silang, Cavite Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office. Aviation fire and emergency stakeholders were represented through the rescue and safety leadership of Mactan Cebu International Airport and the fire protection team of New NAIA Infra Corp..

In his opening remarks, Frank Diaz, CSI Training Manager and Lead Trainer, reflected on how CSI began as an idea he first floated to COMPASS management about a year ago and is now a working institute with structured programs, cross sector participation, and a growing community committed to raising the standard of Philippine based training delivery. He underscored that qualified instructors are capability multipliers, translating standards into consistent practice through disciplined delivery, fair evaluation, and complete documentation.

The awarding of certificates was led by Mr. Dakila P. Villanueva, COMPASS President; Mr. Antonio B. Burguete Jr., Chairman of the Board; Mr. Frank Diaz, Lead Trainer and CSI Training Manager; Mr. Hartmut Herbel, IFSAC/Pro Board Assessor; and Mr. Mark Lawrence Villanueva, CSI Business Development Consultant, recognizing the participants’ completion of the Instructor I program and their readiness to carry forward higher standards of instruction, assessment, and training documentation within their respective organizations. The program was hosted by COMPASS PeopleSkills’ Mr. Howard Castillo.

In the closing remarks, Mr. Villanueva echoed the message of growth and purpose, emphasizing CSI as an advocacy initiative of COMPASS Training Center, Inc. that is ultimately for the country. He highlighted the importance of developing qualified instructors who can teach and train responders to a consistent standard so CSI’s vision and mission can spread faster and be adopted more widely across agencies and sectors. Looking ahead, he shared that CSI’s next course pipeline is already taking shape, with the next batch of the NFPA 470 HazMat Awareness and Operations (Pro Board) program now in development. CSI also confirmed it is preparing additional Pro Board aligned offerings, including NFPA 1041 Instructor I and Firefighter I and II, to support clearer professional growth pathways for Filipino responders who are working toward globally benchmarked credentials.

The ceremony concluded with photo documentation and fellowship, followed by dinner at COMPASS Brew & Cafe, as graduates and guests celebrated a shared milestone in competency based training and the continued strengthening of local certification pathways for Philippine responders and safety professionals.