The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is requesting additional funds from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to enhance the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) capacity.
“We’re helping them to increase the number of personnel. [They are] now more than 30,000 and we’re looking at hiring 4,000 more within the year,” Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said.
Bautista said that with the additional workforce, the PCG will be able to deploy one personnel for each kilometer of the country’s coastline.
As for assets and security equipment, Bautista said the PCG is in the process of acquiring floating and aerial assets.
“We just had approval to purchase five 97-meter multi-role response vessels or MRRVs. We already signed the loan agreement with JICA on this. It’s already in the procurement process,” he said.
“We need more helicopters and 35-meter fast patrol vessels to support the mission of the PCG not only in the West Philippine Sea but also in other shores of the country,” he added.
