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PCGA Diver finds 12 bodies in Philippine ferry wreckage
AP - Tuesday, December 29

MANILA, Philippines – A coast guard auxiliary diver found at least 12 bodies, including two toddlers, inside the wreckage of a wooden-hulled ferry that sank near Manila on Christmas Eve, officials said Monday.

The bodies of the rest of the 24 people missing may be trapped inside still-unopened cabins of MV Catalyn B, which collided with a fishing boat and sank off Cavite province's Limbones island before dawn Thursday, said coast guard spokesman Armand Balilo. He said the search continues for MV Catalyn B's missing passengers as well as 23 people missing from another ferry that sank off nearby Batangas province late Saturday in the second sea disaster in three days.

Matthew Caldwell, an American technical diver and an auxiliary diver of the ill-equipped Philippine coast guard, said he saw the bodies throughout the wreckage of MV Catalyn B, which sank at a depth of more than 67 meters (221 feet) after the Christmas Eve collision.

"From different windows, you see different bodies," he told The Associated Press. "There could very well be more, because I understand there are small cabins inside and most likely there were people sleeping in the cabin and never had the chance to get out."

The coast guard lacks trained people and equipment to dive to such depths and has tapped Caldwell, a longtime Philippine resident, to conduct the deep-sea search, Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, the coast guard chief, said earlier. Caldwell said the coast guard is now exploring alternatives to be able to recover the bodies, including possibly salvaging the whole boat. Search-and-rescue teams, meanwhile, continue to comb waters near Verde Island off Batangas province, south of Manila, for at least 23 people missing from the second ferry, MV Baleno-9. Balilo said more people were found to have been on board MV Baleno-9 than initially thought. Officials earlier said there were 88 passengers and crew on board, but the coast guard reported Monday that data reconciled with different search and rescue units as well as the shipping company showed 101 people were on board. Six people were confirmed killed, 72 rescued and 23 missing from MV Baleno-9, a coast guard report said Monday.

Sea accidents are common in the archipelago because of tropical storms, badly maintained boats and weak enforcement of safety regulations. Ferries can often sail overloaded or with incomplete passenger manifest.

505th Squadron Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary joins the Philippine Marine
Mammal Stranding Network
By: CDR RICHARD KIRKHAM PCGA
September 28th, 2009

PUERTO GALERA - Members of the 505th Squadron Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) recently completed first responder training for stranded whales and dolphins. The course was conducted by members of the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network (PMMSN), at Ocean Adventure in Subic Bay.

The PMMSN was founded in 2005 by Ocean Adventure Marine Park, Ms Gail E. Laule of the Wildlife In Need foundation (WIN), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and staff of the University of the Philippines’ Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (UP-IESM). First responder training has previously been conducted with members of BFAR and the Philippine Coast Guard. The 505th Squadron PCGA is the first non-governmental group to complete the course.

The need for trained volunteers was highlighted in August when a spinner dolphin stranded in Barangay Suqui, Calapan, Oriental Mindoro. The 505th Squadron stranding team lead by CDR Richard Kirkham responded to the stranding, along with LT A. Ricafrente, commander of CGS Calapan and his men. The dolphin was unable to float and had to be constantly attended. The coast guard inflatable was filled with water and used as a temporary holding facility until the dolphin could later be moved to a salt water pool. Over the next two and a half days the 505th stranding team, coast guard personnel and officials from the BFAR gave 24 hour care to the dolphin. However the animal died after three days. This is often the case with stranded animals and the necropsy could not find any cause of death. The care given hopfeully reduces the animal's suffering and gives them the best chance of survival.

Attendees at the stranding workshop learnt that marine mammals strand for various reasons such as injury, errors in navigation, illness and disease. The Philippines is rich in marine mammals, and is home to 26 types of cetaceans, ranging from spinner dolphins to humpback whales, as well as the endangered dugong. All marine mammals are protected by law, however the reality is that many animals are caught by accident in nets and suffer either directly, or indirectly from the actions of man.

First Responder training aims at developing the capability to respond quickly to stranded marine mammals. Many animals are in great pain and distress if stranded. Careful handling, protecting the blowhole from water, supporting the animal in the sea and keeping them wet, may not save the animal but it will relieve it's suffering until a more qualified stranding team with a veterinary surgeon is able to respond.

Education plays an important role in the network. Local coastal communities can be shown that the benefits of preserving these wonderful creatures, far out-weighs their use as a food source. In many parts of the world a large eco-tourism industry generates income from whale and dolphin watching. Education can also help to protect an injured animal until a stranding team is able to respond. Whales and Dolphins breath through the blow hole on top of their head. Local communities can be shown simple techniques to protect the animal. These include making sure the blow hole is above the surface , not allowing water to enter the blowhole and keeping the rest of the body wet and in the shade. By channeling the compassionate nature of the Filipino people, it is hoped that more marine mammals can be saved.

As Mahatma Gandhi once said -“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated”.

2009 text and photos Richard A Kirkham

PCGA, In the midst of Tragedy….Typhoon ONDOY
By: Commo Danilo G Cabalde PCGA, District Director, CGAD NCR-CL

With the massive devastation brought about by Typhoon Ondoy in the morning of September 26, 2009, hundreds of Manileños were displaced, lives lost, material possessions vanished. In a blink of an eye, our busy lives were put to a halt, facing an unknown tomorrow.

Typhoon Ondoy, whose international code name is “Ketsana”, dumped 334 millimeters of rain in the first 6 hours which is double compared to the previous record of 341 millimeters over a 24 hour period, 42 years ago. The recent typhoon is the highest ever recorded rainfall in the Metropolis.

Who would have thought that the Signal Number 1 warning of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) would lead to such tragedy? And submerged up to 80% of the city. Flooding areas that never experienced flooding before, bringing death and misery for both the rich and the poor and stranding people on their rooftops.

Marveled with the destruction around me and seeing lives being swept away by the flood and in lieu of the mission of the PCGA which is to assist the PCG in saving lives, I immediately asked Commo Joseph Dy PCGA, our Deputy District Director for Operations, to activate the CGAD NCR-CL’s EMERGENCY RESPONSE TASK FORCE (ERTF) under the command of Captain Oscar T Garcia PCGA, and be on standby in case our assistance is needed by the PCG.  True enough I got a call from Commo Luis M Tuason Jr PCG, District Commander CGD NCR-CL, requesting us to help them in their search and rescue operations.

With water levels rising at an enormous rate as thousands of our fellow Filipinos call for help, we immediately sent out trucks, rubber boats and rescue personnel that were trained in these types of tragedies.  Our rescue efforts fan out across the sprawling city of hundreds of residents to pluck people off houses and car roofs. Our rescue team, headed by no less than Commo Joseph Dy PCGA, bravely battling the raging river-like flooded streets, rushed to save lives while risking their own. The 6 hour deluge across Manila submerged houses, washed away shanties and turned roads into raging rivers forcing residents to seek refuge on top of their homes holding on to dear life.

The flood waters and the large numbers of stranded vehicles gave our rescue team a difficult time in reaching those affected.  Commo Dy decided to set-up a temporary Command Post  at the Araneta Avenue area in front of the National Children’s hospital in E. Rodriguez where no Coast Guard Contingent was present. Despite the hardship encountered by our rescue team, they made their day as they have rescued several victims. Tired, exasperated, and hungry, the team called off their mission Sunday morning at around 4am.

Relief operations followed the search and rescue as always, thus, I made an urgent call to all Squadron Directors to support this task.  They quickly responded and sent forth relief goods that we distributed to those affected.  I gave orders that all relief goods be delivered to and stored at the office of Capt Garcia which was used as our District’s Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation Center for repacking. The Squadron Directors and its members, and some of the District Central staff who braved the flood and reported at the relief and rehabilitation center were with me and helped in repacking the relief items. A Temporary relief center was also stationed at Commo Emerita Garon’s residence where they also repacked relief goods before it is brought to the District Relief Center for control and management.

A few days after the tragedy, after the waters subsided, Metro Manila and the outlying regions were largely unprepared to handle the evacuees, the injured, and much less the contamination that the floodwaters brought.  Our efforts in helping our fellowmen bring their lives back together again have not stopped.  CGAD NCR-CL continues its efforts in rescuing and extends assistance to those who need it the most. Last Wednesday, September 30, I called an emergency meeting that was attended by all Squadron Directors and the District Central Staff.  We focused on the new request of the PCG to put up big tents in the LRT/MRT compound at Santolan station in Marikina, and make it a staging point for relief operations, and our medical team.  The tents will be jointly manned by PCG/PCGA personnel and will be called the DOTC/PCG/PCGA Relief Operations Center.  We have agreed to continually deploy PCGA members, 8/7, at the Relief Operations Center.  Each squadron had its own regular schedule to man the said Center and this will go on until we receive a deactivation order.  Last Friday, Oct 2,  2,000 pkgs of relief goods, several cartons of medicines, and bottled waters were delivered to the LRT/MRT Relief Center ready for distribution to the afflicted anytime.

We are still accepting donations in cash or in kind, which will later on be transported with the use of the PCG-PCGA trucks to those who are in need. 

It is during these difficult times that the utmost hospitality and bravery of the Filipinos are revealed.  That in spite of the loss and misery, Filipinos from all walks of life, rich or poor, Christians or non-Christians help one another, even those who have nothing to give but their time and service. 

I personally, would like to thank all those who have helped us in this endeavor.

Let us all continue to help one another for this is just one of the reasons why we thank God for making us who we are….PCGA.