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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PCG ramps up beach patrols, resort monitoring ahead of holiday surge

PCG ramps up beach patrols, resort monitoring ahead of holiday surge

Published Nov 22, 2025 01:28 pm
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has intensified inspections and safety monitoring in beach resorts and other tourist areas nationwide as the Christmas season approaches, according to Rear Admiral Genito Basilio, commander of the PCG Maritime Safety Services Command (MSSC). (Courtesy of Radyo Pilipinas)
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has intensified inspections and safety monitoring in beach resorts and other tourist areas nationwide as the Christmas season approaches, according to Rear Admiral Genito Basilio, commander of the PCG Maritime Safety Services Command (MSSC). (Courtesy of Radyo Pilipinas)
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Saturday, Nov. 22, that it has intensified inspections and safety monitoring in beach resorts and other tourist areas nationwide as the Christmas season approaches.
Rear Admiral Genito Basilio, commander of the PCG Maritime Safety Services Command (MSSC), said their teams will be on heightened alert to ensure resorts comply with safety standards especially with the expected influx of visitors in water recreation sites during the long break.
“Every time our citizens go on vacation with their families, the PCG, in turn, is separated from their own families because we implement a heightened alert,” he said in Filipino in a radio interview over Radyo Pilipinas.
“It means we deploy more personnel to beaches, ports, and tourist areas, send out extra patrols along the coastlines, and keep our medical unit and search and rescue teams on standby for any sudden incident,” he added.
The MSSC oversees several safety-related branches including the Recreational Safety Enforcement Service, which was formed in 2013 to enforce recreational safety regulations in coastal and tourism areas.
Basilio said the unit was created “to address the growing need for stricter safety monitoring in beaches, resorts, and other facilities related to recreational activities.”
Under Memorandum Circular No. 3-14, the PCG inspects and enforces compliance with standards on lifeguards, first aid personnel, lifesaving equipment, safety markers, buoys, rescue tools, and signages.
“We provide certification to lifeguards to ensure they have the proper training when they go on duty in resorts,” Basilio added.
The PCG official disclosed that tourists may also report non-compliant establishments.
“If tourists see resorts without lifeguards or lacking safety measures, they may report this to the nearest Coast Guard stations or sub-stations. It would also be good if they report it simultaneously to the local government unit,” he said, noting that photos or videos would help support complaints.
The PCG’s preparations came as lawmakers again push for the passage of the “Sandy Bill” or Senate Bill 2971, which seeks stricter safety requirements in tourist destinations, including trained lifeguards and adequate medical response.
Filed by Senator Risa Hontiveros during the 19th Congress, the proposed measure was named after six-year-old Sandy Garovillas, who died from a jellyfish sting at a resort which had no staff trained for such emergencies in 2023. The measure was refiled in the 20th Congress.

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