BACOLOD City – The Philippine Coast Guard District Southern Visayas (CGDSV) headquarters will soon rise in Bago City, Negros Occidental.
Commodore Tito Alvin Andal, commander of CGDSV, said on June 29 the building will be constructed on a donated land in Barangay Calumangan.
“The bidding process is ongoing in the Manila headquarters. If the project will be awarded in two months, it will take (a year and a half) to complete (construction),” he said.
Andal, who assumed his post on May 15, has jurisdiction over Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor. For now, he holds office at the PCG-Negros Occidental station in Barangay Banago here where he held a press briefing with PCG-Negros Occidental chief Lieutenant Commander Jansen Benjamin on Monday.
According to Andal, the CGDSV will also be installing radar stations in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental and at Bredco port here within this year to boost their vessel monitoring capability.
“Radar stations are very important, especially in the transit of our vessels plying these areas. These will be linked to the main radar station and coast watch system to get the real-time situation and scenario,” he said.
The PCG also has a facility in Hinoba-an – southernmost town in this province – which is being developed into a regional training center that can accommodate up to 1,000 trainees.
“We have plans to increase our strength by next year and in the future to 40,000 (personnel in the whole country,) so there will be continuous training. That area in Hinoba-an is still in the process of being developed with the support of our partners in Negros,” Andal said.
This year, the PCG is set to hire at least 1,500 more personnel, out of which the CGDSV hopes to get 50 additional people.
Benjamin, for his part, said some 835 special operations group personnel are currently undergoing training at the Hinoba-an facility. (With a report from PNA/PN)
