Senator Panfilo M. Lacson on Monday, Dec. 13 asked the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Tourism (DOT) for the PCG to provide security to beach resorts with high tourism value throughout the country,
Lacson, chairman of the Senate National Defense and Security committee, made the suggestion when PCG officials appeared before his committee on proposals to revise the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) law to enable the institution to better accomplish its mandate.
PCG officials said the proposal to secure beach resorts was earlier broached by former House of Representatives Pantaleon Alvarez and that Siargao beach resort in Mindanao was the first to be secured the PCG.
When PCG officials said they only had initial talks with the DOT on this issue, Lacson said the both the PCG and DOT should sign a MOA where other beach resorts of high tourism values would likewise be secured.
Lacson is seeking the presidency under the banner of the Partido Reforma, a party founded by Alvarez.
On the creation of Sea Marshalls, PCG officials said that this organization is focused mainly in Manila.
They said they hoped to replicate it to other ports and provide support to the shipping industry.
Lacson said this would support PCG’s request for additional personnel counted at two PCG persons for every one kilometer of coastline.
The PCG used to be under the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is now under the Department of Transportation (DoTr).
At the resumption of the public hearing on Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2322, which seeks to revise the Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) law, Lacson asked the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to study the request of the PCG to upgrade its pay scale and make it equal with the military and the Philippine National Police.
“We want to find out if we have the wherewithal, given the circumstances, to give it to them (PCG) and take a deeper study on the aspect of equality and fairness,’’ he said.
‘’We agree that the pay scale is already indicated in the DBM Joint Resolution No. 1, but since there is this measure pending in this committee, we want to find out more on the capability and capacity of the government to sustain the adjustments being sought by PCG in this regard,” Lacson stressed.
DBM Director Grace Delos Santos told the committee that they would study the matter.
The PCG admiral and vice admiral are currently receiving pay equivalent to one rank lower than their counterparts in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP.
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