Maritime patrol operations in the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) El Nido Station received a boost after Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade donated a new speedboat which he received as a gift from his son for his birth anniversary.
The speedboat with registry No. PCG MB-001 was a birth anniversary gift to Tugade from his son Perry’s Holding Corp. President and CEO Paul Louie Tugade.
Secretary Tugade donated the speedboat to the PCG, taking into consideration the need and the important role of the agency in the maritime sector.
"The speedboat will help the PCG in its mandate of performing maritime search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, maritime safety and security, and marine environmental protection,” the Transportation chief said.
The speedboat arrived at the Coast Guard Station in Palawan last Jan. 16, and is now being utilized for maritime patrols in the waters of El Nido.
Commodore Arnaldo Lim, commander of the Coast Guard District Palawan, said the addition of the speedboat to its arsenal of equipment boosts the conviction of the station's 33 officers and personnel to carry out their tasks, as well as to help in the recovery of local tourism and economy by maintaining maritime security.
“Upholding maritime security and maritime safety in support of the recovering tourism amid the COVID-19 pandemic is both a challenge and a privilege for the Coast Guard District Palawan, specifically Coast Guard Station El Nido,” he said.
“We are humbled to utilize the speedboat donated by Secretary Arthur Tugade and his generous family in such a time when the local government is implementing measures to slowly revamp the tourism industry towards the restoration of local livelihood,” he added, citing that the PCG personnel is now more than capable of extending the necessary assistance to the people.