Dili, September 29, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The Union of Firefighters of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (UBPLP – Portuguese acronym) in Timor-Leste, together with the Civil Protection Authority, held a ceremony for the official handover of the Union’s mascot. The ceremony took place at the APC building in Caicoli.
The National Director of Firefighters of Timor-Leste, Paul de Oliveira Maia, said that the ceremony aimed to appeal to the people of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, emphasizing that this symbolic event had already been carried out in Luanda in 2024 when the Rotating Presidency was handed over from the 7th Assembly to the 8th Assembly. Now, with the rotating presidency held by Timor-Leste, it will continue until 2026, when it will be handed over again to Cape Verde.
“Today marks the presence of the President of the Union of Portuguese-Speaking Countries (UPLP), accompanied by the Vice-President related to Firefighters and the Permanent Secretariat of Portugal, who symbolically handed over the rotating machete to Timor-Leste. This serves as a preparation for 2026, when Timor-Leste will return the rotating presidency to the Union of Firefighters of Portuguese-Speaking Countries,” said the National Director of Firefighters of Timor-Leste, Paul de Oliveira Maia.
The National Director further explained that the UBPLP, in connection with bilateral agreements similar to those within the CPLP, has benefited from training opportunities on firefighting and knowledge-sharing. In addition, the UBPLP provides advanced equipment to support search and rescue operations, thus protecting communities during emergencies.
“I will assume this role for two years. Our program will be similar to that of advanced countries such as Portugal, Cape Verde, and Angola, because they were the ones who helped establish the Firefighters in Timor-Leste. We also adopted Portuguese as our official language, thereby standardizing rules and statutes defined by the eight member countries of UBPLP,” added the National Director of Firefighters of Timor-Leste.
The Director affirmed that Timor-Leste has prepared facilities and structures to send its firefighters to Portugal for training, in order to enhance their knowledge and bring it back to address problems faced domestically, as well as to strengthen cooperation with other CPLP and UPLP member states.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Domingos Mariano Reis, said that the firefighters, along with the President of APC, the Commander of the Civil Protection and Fire Service, the Principal Fire Commissioner of Angola, the Vice-President of the Portuguese Firefighters Union Commander Marco Portugal, and representatives of Firefighters Unions from Portuguese-speaking countries, were also present at the ceremony.
“The objective of the UBPLP delegation’s visit is to hand over the Rotating Presidential Machete of the Firefighters Union of Portuguese-Speaking Countries to the firefighters of Timor-Leste,” said the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Domingos Mariano Reis.
The Secretary of State added that, on behalf of the Government of Timor-Leste, he was honored to welcome the participants to this conference on the symbolic transfer of the Firefighters’ Presidential Machete of the UBPLP.
“I sincerely thank the Minister of Interior for attending this program and for reaffirming Timor-Leste’s strong commitment to civil protection and international cooperation. A special acknowledgment goes to the Republic of Angola, whose contributions and strong service during its mandate as president of UBPLP are highly recognized,” said the Secretary of State for Civil Protection.
He also welcomed the delegation from the Republic of Portugal, highlighting that their experience and technical support are essential in strengthening civil protection capacities in Timor-Leste. UBPLP continues to express solidarity and a common commitment to the safety and well-being of communities. This initiative promotes knowledge exchange, firefighter training, and resilience building across nations.
The government official called upon Timor-Leste’s firefighters to embrace this presidency not only as a great honor but also as a major responsibility. He urged them to lead with humility, to promote dialogue, partnerships, and fair cooperation among all member states.
In conclusion, the Union of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, through bilateral agreements similar to those of CPLP, will provide significant benefits, particularly advanced training for firefighters and support with modern equipment for search and rescue. This will further enhance the firefighting capacity in Timor-Leste.
Reporter: Nelfiano
Photo: Nelfiano