21 dead from road mishaps, drowning during Holy Week

MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-one people have died from drowning and vehicular crashes across the country during the Holy Week break, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported yesterday.

Col. Jean Fajardo, the PNP’s chief information officer, said 19 people perished in drowning incidents from March 25 to 30. Of the number, seven are from Calabarzon.

The other regions with reported deaths due to drowning are Cagayan Valley with three, Ilocos, Central Luzon and Western Visayas with two each and Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Davao with one each.

Three people were rescued from drowning, Fajardo said.

Two people died and three were injured in vehicular mishaps in Central Luzon and Bicol.

Among those who died was a 13-year-old boy who drowned at Jarina Brion Resort in Barangay Sta. Monica in San Pablo City on Wednesday.

The victim, whom police identified as Jacob, was found by his mother floating in the pool of the resort at around 12:30 p.m., police said. The boy was pronounced dead on arrival at the San Pablo City General Hospital.

Another casualty of drowning was Rodemar Magtubo, who jumped into a river in Barangay Alipit in Sta. Cruz, Laguna on Thursday. Magtubo was binge drinking with his relatives when he swam in the river. He was found dead after an hour.

The PNP has fielded over 52,000 police officers for the Holy Week, a security coverage which will remain until April 1.

Fajardo said they documented two robbery incidents in Central Luzon and Eastern Visayas where two people were victimized. Five cases of child abuse, four in Calabarzon and one in Central Luzon, were also recorded.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), meanwhile, assisted 4,277 people during the Holy Week.

The PRC said 4,049 people went to first aid stations to have their vital signs checked while 160 were treated for minor cases such as abrasions, abdominal pain, elevated blood pressure, headache and hypertension.

Twenty-eight were treated as major cases, 17 of whom were transported to hospitals. Forty also availed of the services at the PRC’s welfare desks.

The PRC has over 2,000 staff and volunteers on field work during the Lenten season.

Lifeguard Act

With drowning listed as one of the top five leading causes of death among children aged one to 14 and with 3,576 individuals drowned in the Philippines in 2022, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing anew for the passage of a measure that would require public swimming pools and bathing facilities to employ lifeguards.

Gatchalian said the start of the dry season would surely prompt families to go on outings and swimming usually, thus the need to renew his call for the passage of Senate Bill No. 1142 or the Lifeguard Act of 2022.

“Every year, we hear of someone drowning, especially young people. That is why we are promoting the presence of lifeguards in every public swimming pool to curb the number of accidents or deaths due to drowning,” said Gatchalian.

Under Gatchalian’s proposal, pool operators are mandated to employ at least one certified lifeguard for each public swimming pool that is operated either for commercial purposes or free of charge, including but not limited to pools operated in hotels, inns, motels, condominium buildings, clubhouses and any other public setting or residential setting other than a single-family home.

Gatchalian added that an additional lifeguard should be employed for every excess area of 250 square meters. These lifeguards must be duly certified by nationally recognized organizations accredited by the Department of Health.

In 2022, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that 3,576 deaths in the Philippines were due to drowning, with the highest number of cases recorded during March (317), April (391) and May (345).

The World Health Organization also reported that drowning is one of the top five leading causes of death among children aged one to 14.

He said the proposed measure mandates pool operators to provide local government units (LGUs) with certifications and supporting documents to prove their engagement with the required number of lifeguards.

LGUs, on the other hand, shall ensure the compliance of all public swimming pools. They should also conduct periodic local inspections coordinated by local health officers or other personnel deemed fit for the assignment.

LGUs shall approve the permits of pool operators upon certification verification and other supporting documents.

In case of serious injury or death in a public swimming pool, pool operators who fail to employ the required number of lifeguards shall be imprisoned for not more than six months. They shall also pay a fine of not more than P200,000.

Gatchalian noted that LGU officials shall also be held administratively liable when they neglect to fulfill their duties. — Cecille Suerte-Felipe