MANILA, March 1 -- The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said it is looking to develop response capabilities that will allow the country to adequately respond to forest fires and other similar incidents.

OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, in a statement Thursday, said these upgrades are necessary in the wake of the challenges encountered by authorities in extinguishing wildfires in the province of Benguet.

"We are looking for interventions that will support the ongoing response activities and of course for those measures that will offer long-term solutions to address the challenges and pressing concerns," he added.

On Feb. 26, OCD officials, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and Armed Forces of the Philippines officers met wit...