NCRPO rushes boats for 'Ramil'

MANILA, Philippines - The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said yesterday it is rushing the construction of at least 20 boats as part of its effort to upgrade its capabilities in disaster and emergency response following the entry of typhoon “Ramil” into the country.

NCRPO chief Director Roberto Rosales is hoping that three of the 20 boats under construction at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City would be fitted with a 3K engine and be operational before Wednesday or before Ramil hits Central and Northern Luzon.

“With the three boats and a rubber boat, we can now have something to rescue Metro Manilans in case floodwaters strike again several low-lying areas in the metropolis,” he said in an interview.

Rosales said a donation of nine rubber boats failed to arrive as expected last Oct. 14.

When tropical storm “Ondoy” hit low-lying areas of eastern Metro Manila and other towns in Rizal, the NCRPO was helpless because it had no maritime vessels at its disposal.

Rosales is fasttracking the construction of the boats but Ramil arrived in the country before the boats could be commissioned to the Regional Mobile Group (RMG).

He said the boats, made of marine plywood and armed with motor engine costing P40,000 each, would be used to ferry people and relief goods in times of calamity.

“The boats would be equipped with Global Positioning System transceivers to allow effective monitoring of their location and condition via wireless technology,” Rosales said.

According to him, he has directed his five police districts and 37 station commanders to coordinate with local government units (LGUs) to prepare for Ramil.

The NCRPO chief also appealed to thousands of evacuees in Metro Manila to remain at their respective evacuation centers as their houses might be again submerged by floodwaters.

Rosales also formed rescue teams from the RMG, Regional Health Service and other NCRPO units and directed them to conduct continuous training sessions to ensure their readiness in times of calamity.

He said that NCRPO will also tap schools offering maritime or marine courses for their students to participate in rescue operations in flooded areas.

Rosales said the rescue training is not just a reaction to the recent flooding but would be a continuing program of the NCRPO. He ordered that from now on, a certain number of policemen in all Metro Manila police units must be regularly trained in rescue, relief, and retrieval operations.