RP Coast Guard to get P1.6B for 2 new choppers

Hoping to boost the country’s capacity to respond to sea tragedies, the Aquino government has allotted P1.6 billion for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to acquire two new choppers equipped for search and rescue operations and other functions. Under its Maritime Disaster Response Helicopter Acquisition Project, the PCG is set to acquire two all-weather, twin engine utility helicopters capable of performing vital functions, especially search and rescue operations in cases of sea mishaps. The entire project aims to procure as many as seven helicopters but the earmarked amount is enough only for two. The allocation is included in the 2011 General Appropriations Act by Malacañang, which is currently being deliberated in Congress. Lawmakers hope to enact the proposed budget before the year ends. “This is long overdue, and we give credit to [President Benigno Aquino III] for finally deciding to support the project, at least initially," said Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas in a statement on Sunday. He said the government should not wait for another tragedy — such as the August 23 Manila hostage-taking incident that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead and was blamed on ill-equipped and poorly trained police operatives — before building up the PCG’s capacity to save lives at sea. According to the PCG, the two helicopters will have “interoperability" with the agency’s boats, which will allow for faster hoisting of more people to safety during rescue operations. The choppers will likewise be able to conduct rescue operations even during stormy weather when there is flooding in Metro Manila or anywhere else in the country. Gullas described the present condition of the PCG as “pathetic," with only two leftover, twin-engine Bolkow helicopters assembled in 1976 at its disposal. “We were told the 34-year-old choppers have to fly in tandem all the time, just in case one of the pair suddenly conks out mid-air," he said. Gullas stressed the need for a better-equipped PCG, noting the fact that the country is an archipelago. “We are one of the five biggest archipelagos in the world, along with Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Yet, we also have one of the smallest and most poorly equipped Coast Guards," he said. The Philippines holds the worst maritime accident in the world in recent history with the sinking of the MV Doña Paz 1987 that claimed over 4,000 lives according to reports. The ship, owned by Sulpicio Lines, was plying the Tablas Strait from Leyte to Manila in December 1987 when it collided with the oil tanker MT Vector. It has been dubbed as Asia’s Titanic in reference to another passenger vessel which figured in an accident resulting in the deaths of over 1,500 people. Last year, two sea vessels sank in Philippine seas. The motor banca Catalyn B collided with a fishing boat off Cavite province on Christmas Eve last year, killing 25 passengers. Three days later, on December 27, the roll-on, roll-off (RORO) vessel M/V Baleno 9, meanwhile, sank off Verde Island in Batangas province. At least six people were confirmed dead, while 44 were reported missing. The tragedies were blamed in part of on the lack of search and rescue crafts to help secure the survivors. - Jerrie M. Abella/KBK, GMANews.TV