BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Southern Visayas needs additional personnel and assets to beef up the district’s maritime law enforcement and search and rescue capabilities.
PCG district commander, Captain Eduardo De Luna, said over the weekend he requested for an augmentation from PCG Admiral George Ursabia.
According to De Luna, the PCG in the district was undermanned.
He also sought for at least one major PCG naval asset to be stationed in Negros; this would be used for maritime law enforcement and rescue capabilities.
“Admiral Ursabia gave us the go signal and they will support us with this initiative,” De Luna said.
PCG-Southern Visayas is stepping up its operation against illegal fishing and smuggling of contrabands such as illegal drugs.
The local PCG head is also hoping for a meeting with officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Western and Central Visayas.
The PCG-Southern Visayas district covers the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental, and the island of Siquijor.
In another development, PCG-Southern Visayas hosted a mangrove planting and coastal cleanup activity in Bacolod City’s Barangay Punta Taytay on Saturday.
De Luna said the event was participated by barangay and purok officials.
PCG bartered food packs and sacks of rice for sacks of trash collected by participants in the coastal villages./PN
