By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-District Southern Visayas is expecting to recruit 50 new personnel to augment the strength of its substations in the islands of Siquijor and Negros.
This was revealed by Commodore Tito Alvin Andal during a press briefing at the PCG-Negros Occidental office in Barangay Banago here yesterday.
Andal, a native of Lipa, Batangas who graduated from the Philippine Military Academy, was designated as the new district commander of PCG in Southern Visayas effective May 15,2020. He was previously assigned as logistics officer of PCG national headquarters and commander of the PCG Aviation Force.
Andal replaced Captain Nelbert Aniversario who was transferred to PCG District Southern Mindanao.
Andal said the recruitment of new personnel, however, depends on the length of completion of the training of the recruits.
The PCG had a recruitment quota of 1,500 personnel this year but the national headquarters is planning to make it 10,000, if possible, to support the existing force of the different Coast Guard stations nationwide, he added.
Andal encouraged Negrenses to apply and join their ranks.
Meanwhile, Commander Jansen Benjamin, head of PCG-Negros Occidental, said 835 recruits are currently undergoing training as part of the special operations group in Hinoba-an town, where their regional training center is situated, although he noted that the building is not yet fully developed.
Andal said that they are planning to establish a district office in Barangay Calumangan, Bago City.
Andal is temporarily occupying a space at the PCG-Negros Occidental office in Banago village while the district office has yet to be constructed in the province.
He said that they are also planning to put up radar stations in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental and Bacolod Real Estate Development Corp. (Bredco) port here to check real time scenario of the sea and to monitor vessels and boats plying in the areas under his jurisdiction.
“We don’t need to use boats for patroling if we have radar stations. It can save resources,” he added.
He also plans to deploy additional K9 dogs, including narco-detection dogs in ports to help the government in the anti-drug war efforts.
