PINAKAUNANG SEARCH, RESCUE BASE SA BANSA PINASINAYAAN NG PCG

Pinakaunang search, rescue base sa bansa pinasinayaan

ng PCG By Venus L. Garcia

Pinasinayaan ng Philippine Coast Guard ang kauna-unahang search and rescue base sa bansa na itinatag sa tinaguriang world-class tourist destination ng Pilipinas sa General Luna, Siargao Island.

Ang 600 square meters at four-storey building ng Coast Guard base sa Siargao ay itinayo sa 5,000-square meter lot na idinonate ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Surigao del Norte sa pamumuno ni Gobernador Francisco “Lalo” Matugas.

Maliban sa watch tower, helipad, at elevated base defense zone, ito ay equipped rin ng automatic identification system o AIS monitoring equipment upang masiguro ang maritime safety.

Ayon kay admiral George Ursabia, Jr., commandant ng Philippine Coast Guard, magandang oportunidad anya ito para sa mga skilled na residente na maging bagong recruit at miyembro ng PCG at makapagbigay serbisyo sa publiko.

Dagdag pa ni admiral Ursabia, dalawa o tatlong units ng fast patrol boats ang itatalaga sa PCS Base Siargao para palakasin pa lalo ang maritime law enforcement at disaster management.

Ang nasabing bagong imprastaktura ay magsilbi ring

radar station upang mapangalagaan ang isla at vicinity waters nito laban sa iligal, unreported, at unregulated fishing.

“We are so much thankful mainly because with this new search and rescue base we could effectively discharge our mandates; deliver quality service; have effective command control; and most especially we could timely respond to maritime incidents and when in height of natural disasters and calamities,” Wenceslao John M. Wenceslao, station commander of the Coast Guard Station Siargao.

“With this new search and rescue base, we could now probably say that with the Coast Guard in the frontline, we could promote a safe and secure Siargao Island,” Wenceslao furthered.

Kasabay rin sa inagurasyon ay ang donning at oath taking ni Surigao del Norte first district representative Francisco Jose “Bingo” Matugas II bilang auxiliary commodore ng PCG Auxiliary Executive Squadron.

Anya, bilang miyembro ng house committee on public order and safety, patuloy ang kanyang suporta sa mga programa ng PCG. (VLG/PIA-Surigao del Norte)