Australia holds 5-day search and rescue workshop

MANILA, Philippines - In a bid to improve the government’s response to maritime challenges, representatives from the different rescue units yesterday attended a five-day training workshop on search and rescue (SAR).

The workshop will end on July 8 and will be attended by 25 medium and senior officials from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Philippine National Police, Philippine Navy, Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

It is jointly conducted by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Australian Ambassador Rod Smith said they chose the Philippines as one of its partners to hold the workshop because they consider the country as one of their strong allies in implementing maritime security.

Smith said improving a country’s capability in performing SAR is important to the Philippines because of the many maritime challenges that it now faces.

“SAR is always a very demanding area in maritime security. The Philippines is a country that sadly faces a lot of typhoons and other heavy weather,” said Smith.

“The challenge there (is the) Philippine Coast Guard and the other agencies do their best considering the resources that they have,” he added.

PCG commandant Admiral Ramon Liwag said the workshop is also in line with the declaration of July as the National Disaster Consciousness Month under Executive Order 137 issued on Aug. 10, 1999.

Storm-free week

Meanwhile, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said the country would be storm-free until at least Friday.

PAGASA supervising undersecretary Graciano Yumul said the two low pressure areas spotted east and west of the Philippines dissipated yesterday.

However, he said Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao would still experience cloudy skies with rain showers particularly in the afternoon due to the intertropical convergence zone.

He said Metro Manila would have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains or thunderstorms in the afternoon.