Photo courtesy of Arthur Yap
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The province of Bohol entered into partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to ensure the protection of its waters and Balicasag Island, a tourist destination.
A Memorandum of Agreement that was signed on January 15, 2021, now allows PCG to construct a radar station and its Central Visayas Regional Training Facility on Balicasag Island.
Signatories of the MOA are PCG Commandant, Admiral George Ursabia Jr., and Bohol Governor Arthur Yap, an advisory from the PGC said.
As a counterpart, the Provincial Government of Bohol is committed to install a water desalination facility on the island to supply the PCG facility with at least 15,000 litters of clean water every day, the advisory added.
In his message, Yap spoke of the important role that the PCG played during the Dos Palmas incident in 2001, where Abu Sayyaf members killed and kidnapped around 20 foreign guests.
Yap said that PCG prevented a possible terror attack on their province and helped secure foreign guests visiting Balicasag Island.
“What stopped them (terrorists) from pushing through was the presence of the Coast Guard Lighthouse Station. As governor, I would like to put down in history that the Coast Guard was the force that protected us during that time by standing on guard and watching over us,” the Governor said.
Admiral Ursabia assured Yap that the PCG will “remain steadfast with its commitment to uphold maritime law enforcement, maritime security, maritime safety, and marine environmental protection in the entire province of Bohol.”
/bmjo
Related story: PCG Camotes donates relief goods to residents of island