PCG to put up stations

in every coastal town 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, May 23, (PIA)—The Philippine Coast Guard in Bohol revealed its plan of putting up coast guard detachments in every coastal town, one it believes would be giving Bohol the edge in so many aspects. 

Speaking at the Kapihan sa PIA, Bohol Coast Guard Station Commander Lieutenant Patrick John Cabasag bared over the radio program aired live over DyTR and at PIA Bohol facebook and twitter accounts that by putting up detachments or mini stations in Bohol’s 29 coastal towns, the PCG adds to the law enforcement capability of the towns. 

With the Coast Guard primarily mandated to promote safety of life and property at sea, safeguard marine environment and resources, enforce all applicable laws within Philippine waters, and conduct maritime security operations and other activities in support of national development, having them in the towns strategically improves local law enforcement capacity. 

In short, since it is the PCG who is in charge of inspecting reports and tourism establishments on the presence and capability and effectivity of life guards, the same coast guard personnel can be the town’s resource trainers on lifeguards, enhance maritime safety by sea vessel sea worthiness and inspections, registrations, safety at sea, and search and rescue when it comes to dire emergencies. 

As they are mandated to safeguard maritime environment and resources, the presence of a coast guard personnel in the town acquires of its law enforcement a deputized implementer of marine laws and can immediately respond to illegal fishing, mangroves destruction, illegal discharge of effluent in the water, illegal transport of forest products or hunting of wildlife threatened to extinction. 

With the PCG tasked at all times to enforce all applicable laws within the Philippine waters, they can also go after colorum fishing bancas transporting passengers, as these are not designed for passengers and does not have the proper licenses to assure its passengers safety or indemnity when accidents happen. 

Apart from all of those, the PCG in the towns can be an additional border security force can prevent another incursion by terrorists groups, as the PCG has in place a system of tracking boats and identify vessels that are from suspicious origins. 

A force that has newly separated from the Department of National Defense, the PCG envisions a plan to put up at least one personnel to look up to a kilometer of the country’s coastlines. 

With a total national strength now of 14,000, the PCG is now implementing a 4,000 personnel recruitment program after the government approved its budget for such manpower development, relayed PCG Bohol Deputy Commander Mark Anthony Tolentino. 

Now, you ask, but what is the catch? 

According to Lt. Cabasag, all they need is a lot donation of 300 square meters, or just enough for a small detachment, which the PCG would be building. 

Over this, Lt. Cabasag is set to meet Bohol mayors to relay this plan. 

Planning for the stations in the towns also assure Bohol of the government’s manpower in the Coast Guard as it would be easier now to put people to stations that are already up, than waiting for the manpower to come before planning for the deployment, Cabasag said. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)