PCG shifts to disaster relief ops after Odette

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has shifted its focus from rescue to disaster relief operations in areas devastated by Typhoon Odette, utilizing all available maritime vessels.

Two PCG vessels are currently en route to Palawan, while two others are sailing for the Visayas.

The BRP Tubbataha has arrived in Central Visayas carrying 10 generator sets, 10 solar panels, 12 drums of gasoline, 400 sacks of rice, 50 tarpaulin rolls, 20 trauma kits, 16 portable stretchers, and boxes of relief goods and medical supplies.

Additionally, oil spill booms and personnel were dispatched to address potential oil spills, particularly in the Mactan Channel, where 78 vessels were involved in maritime accidents during the typhoon.

The PCG's largest offshore patrol vessel, BRP Gabriela Silang, is en route to severely affected provinces including Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Siargao Island, Southern Leyte, Cebu, and Bohol, carrying crucial relief items.

Other PCG assets like the BRP Sindangan, BRP Cape San Agustin, and BRP Bagacay had previously been dispatched to Mindanao and Davao.

The BRP Nueva Vizcaya is carrying DSWD relief materials to Negros Island, another area heavily impacted by the typhoon.

The PCG also conducted aerial inspections of Kabangkalan City in Negros Occidental using its Cessna aircraft to assess the extent of the damage.