SAFETY FIRST. The tranquil view of Nacpan Beach in El Nido, Palawan conceals the strong currents offshore. El Nido's Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office on Thursday (Aug. 17, 2023) called for the hiring of more lifeguards to watch over the seafront at this tourist hub. (Photo by Izza Reynoso)
PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan – Jurisdictional issues surfaced in the resort town of El Nido on Thursday when the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) called for more lifeguards to be stationed at the beaches here.
Raymond Osorio, MDRRMO head, appealed for the hiring of more rescue personnel to ensure the safety of both the locals and tourists.
He told reporters that aside from more lifeguards, more water assets or boats are also needed to facilitate the speedy rescue of people who may need help but are far away from shore.
However, Osorio said his hands are tied on this matter since the responsibility of safeguarding lives at the tourist hub’s beaches falls upon the El Nido Municipal Tourism Office (MTO).
The official made the appeal following the case of the two men who drowned on Wednesday.
Reports said brothers Alvin and Diolito Mahilum drowned at Nacpan Beach in Barangay Bucana while trying to save Alvin’s son, Armand.
The boy’s fate was not clear as of posting time, but it was reported that he “was carried away by the currents.”
Osorio recounted that his office received a report of possible drowning victims at 4:29 p.m., prompting MDRRMO personnel to attempt a rescue.
Rescuers took around 25 minutes to recover the brothers, who were given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by a foreign tourist who was trained in first aid.
Alvin and Diolito were later pronounced dead at the hospital, while there was no mention of what became of Armand.
The Mahilums were not tourists but residents of Barangay Bucana.
“The victims were on a family outing at the beach. They were not drinking alcohol. In fact, Alvin was an MDRRMO volunteer and worked as a security officer at Ayala Corporation,” Osorio said in Filipino.
He said the waves at Nacpan were not particularly large when the incident occurred, but the current was strong.
Osorio said he has relayed his request for more lifeguards to his counterparts at the El Nido MTO.
“Augmenting the number of lifeguards will truly be helpful, especially since they sometimes have to deal with tourists who have been drinking (alcoholic beverages). The currents at that particular beach are really strong, and people have drowned there before,” he noted.
Nacpan Beach, situated within the El Nido town in the northern part of Palawan, has become a popular destination for tourists but continues to be frequented by locals, Osorio said. (PNA)
