Bilang paghahanda sa nalalapit na Undas, isinailalim na sa heightened alert ang operating units ng Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) sa mga pantalan sa bansa.
Sinabi ni PCG Commandant, Vice Admiral Leopoldo Laroya na inaasahang dadagsa ang mga pasahero sa mga pantalan sa weekend para bisitahin ang kanilang mga pamilya at mahal sa buhay sa mga probinsya.
Inaasahan din na dadagsain ng mga fully vaccinated ang mga tourist destinations na unti-unti nang nagbubukas kasunod ng pagbaba ng kaso ng COVID-19 infection sa bansa.
“Coast Guard Districts conduct 24/7 operations to monitor nautical highways routes, especially in the Visayas where the majority of tourist destinations are now revamping local tourism. I have directed concerned units to ensure maritime security and safety in our western and eastern seaboards, as well as inter-island routes. Our deployable response groups, with the PCG Auxiliary, are all-set for these operations,” paliwanag ni Laroya.
Kabilang sa binabantayan ng PCG ang Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Aklan, Iloilo, at Zamboanga region.
Sinasaklawannaman ng eastern seaboard monitoring ng PCG ang Manila, Bicol region, Samar, Leyte, at Surigao provinces.
“We have maritime safety inspectors in port terminals, law enforcement teams in strategic locations, maritime patrol teams in critical vicinity waters, and deployable response groups on standby for possible search and rescue missions," pahabol na pahayag ng opisyal.
Beth Camia