Coast Guard reassures Iloilo’s maritime safety

GEARED towards building a proficient sea rescue team, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliaries (PCGA) in the region held the regular water search and rescue and oil spill recovery exercises.

The simulation activity did not only equip the PCG, PCGA, and other civic organizations with the skills in sea rescue, but it also established teamwork between the responding units.

The simulation was held on Sept 28, 2018 at the Muelle Loney, City Proper, Iloilo City as the highlight of the 23rd National Maritime Week.

The Philippine Red Cross, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Iloilo City Emergency Responder (ICER), students from Iloilo’s maritime schools, among others, took part on the rescue exercises.

“We still continue in regularly conducting this type of simulation exercises to further improve our competency, efficiency and capability for the safety of the public,” Capt. Allan Victor Dela Vega, PCG’s District Commander said.

Dela Vega said it is important for them to train with the auxiliaries to see to it that they share the same search and rescue procedures in case the actual sea tragedy occurs.

“In times that we are not in the area and the first responder will be the PCG auxiliaries, they know how to do it the way it should be done,” Dela Vega said.

District auxiliary director, Commodore Ronald Sebastian, on the other hand, said that information dissemination remains a challenge for them to be prepared for the actual search and rescue operations.

According to him, the need for further knowledge and skills of more or less 4,000 auxiliaries is not addressed due to lack of trainers.

“Kami gusto man namon na nga ma-train kami kay we don’t want to be one of those victims nga basi karon dugay-dugay kita ang ga-response kita pa maging victims then we ensure that ourselves, the responders, the support arm to be also knowledgeable. So it’s very important nga at least makahimo kita sang drill together with the agencies nga kabalo gid ya like the PCG and ICER,” he said.

SOURCE: The Daily Guardian

Special thanks to: