(Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced Sunday, July 6, that it has placed all its units on a heightened alert as the country braces for the impact of the rainy season.
PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan ordered intensified readiness measures to ensure the safety of coastal communities, maritime travelers, and vessels amid threats of heavy rainfall, floods, and rough seas.
“Bilang pagtalima sa kautusan ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., 24/7 ang koordinasyon ng PCG sa mga katuwang na ahensya, partikular sa pagbabantay sa kondisyon ng karagatan sa mga rehiyong apektado ng Habagat kabilang ang Northeastern Luzon, Northwestern Luzon, at Southern Tagalog (In compliance with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the PCG is maintaining 24/7 coordination with partner agencies, particularly in monitoring sea conditions in regions affected by the southwest monsoon including Northeastern Luzon, Northwestern Luzon, and Southern Tagalog),” Gavan said.
Aside from patrol operations, PCG personnel are also in talks with fishermen and residents living near the coastlines to ensure their swift evacuation upon the orders of the local government.
Earlier this month, the PCG alerted its deployable response groups (DRGs) across its 16 districts nationwide to ensure the safety of the public in case of flooding.
The DRGs are composed of coast guard personnel trained in water search and rescue (WASAR) operations. Gavan ordered the reactivation of the DRGs to assist local government units (LGUs), particularly in conducting preemptive evacuation and rescue operations amid the rainy season.
Aside from rescue swimmers, the DRGs are also composed of medically trained personnel as well as coast guard auxiliaries.
Meanwhile, the PCG Command Center said the operations of vessels in all ports nationwide remain “normal”.
“Kasabay ng tuluy-tuloy na biyahe ng mga pasahero sakay ng barko, asahan ang mas mahigpit na pag-iinspeksyon upang maiwasan ang ‘overloading’ at maitaguyod ang ligtas na pagtawid sa karagatan ngayong panahon ng tag-ulan (Alongside the continuous travel of passengers aboard ships, stricter inspections are to be expected to prevent overloading and to ensure safe sea crossings during the rainy season),” Gavan said.