“I am Manuel Lorenzo V Balacano, an amputee, a firefighter…The admiration of becoming a firefighter is one of the things which shaped me, molded me and prompted me to become one…everything went well according to plan until disaster strikes when a motorcycle accident has occurred and I am the victim.”
A REALIZATION OF A MODERN DAY HERO, a digital story by FO2 Manuel Lorenzo V. Balacano, Heroes in Focus: Digital Storytelling Workshop for Outstanding Firefighters of the Philippines with Aurelia L Castro, 23-25 September 2025, BFP National Headquarters, Agham Road, Quezon City. Sponsored by SM Prime in partnership with the Bureau of Fire Protection.
Why did he choose this story to tell? “This happened to me. Aside from never forgetting it, it is also
the experience that molded me and shaped me of who am I today. Through this workshop, the thing that I remembered the most is how grateful I am to be alive and how it greatly affected me to became better,” he said.