PCG on holiday season heightened alert form Dec. 13 to Jan. 6
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced on Monday that it will place its operating units on heightened alert starting Friday, December 13.
The move comes ahead of the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations, as the PCG prepares for increased maritime activity during the holidays.
PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan has directed all operating units to remain on heightened alert until January 6, 2025.
“This is to ensure the orderly operations of sea transport facilities, convenient travel of the seafaring public, peaceful celebration of Christmas, and security of tourists in beaches and private resorts nationwide,” Gavan said in a statement.
According to Gavan, the PCG will implement 24/7 monitoring of nautical highway routes, particularly in the Visayas, which is home to various tourist destinations.
“Our kababayans have long been waiting for this season to spend quality time with their families and loved ones, either at their home provinces or in various vacation spots. Thus, we are anticipating and preparing for the high volume of maritime traffic,” Gavan said,
Article continues after this advertisementGavan also said that K9 units will perform regular inspections at ports, while PCG rescuers will patrol maritime tourist destinations.
Article continues after this advertisement“We have safety inspectors in port terminals, law enforcement teams in strategic tourist vacation spots, patrol teams in critical vicinity waters, and deployable response groups on standby for additional security augmentations and rescue missions, as the need arises,” the PCG commandant emphasized.
“Rest assured, we will ensure maritime security and safety on our western and eastern seaboards, including inter-island routes. Our deployable response groups and the PCG Auxiliary are ready for these operations,” he added.
The PCG noted that the western seaboard monitoring will cover Batangas, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Aklan, Iloilo, and Zamboanga provinces.
Meanwhile, the eastern seaboard monitoring will focus on Manila, the Bicol region, Samar, Leyte, and Surigao provinces.
