To boost the capacity of local resorts in ensuring the safety of tourists, the Samal Island Beach Resorts Association (SIBRA) organized a 10-day training for 45 lifeguards here.

In collaboration with the City Investment and Tourism Office and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the training that started Tuesday at the Kaputian Beach Park seeks to equip participants with skills in water search and rescue as well as life guarding skills.

In an interview, SIBRA president Ruby Uy underscored the role of licensed lifeguards in Samal’s strategic tourism direction while ensuring the safety of tourists visiting local sites.

Uy said the island has 138 registered beach resorts, and each should be manned by certified lifeguards.

“We require that they should have their own lifeguard. There might be another schedule to make sure they can also send their representative for training,” she said.

Ensign Vasit Venturillo, IGACOS Coast Guard station commander, said the trainees will endure the two phases of training: water search and rescue training (five days) and the lifeguard training (five days).

“This is at par with the international standard considering that there are parameters that we are using especially in the skill set,” Venturillo said.

Venturillo added that the Coast Guard assigned seven trainers and deployed 21 personnel well as their floating assets throughout the training period.

Capt. Gary Dale Gimotea, the deputy commander of PCG District Southeastern Mindanao, said resorts should be staffed with lifeguards who have skills in water search and rescue 24/7.

“There is a need to man the resort with trained people to eventually conduct rescue in any untoward incidents,” he said.

Meanwhile, SIBRA vice presdent Aracelli Ayuste, agreed, saying lifeguards must be employed even if there were no previous cases of drowning.

“We will not wait to conduct the training after an incident happened. We need to have this training right now for life-saving purposes, and we are ready to respond to any eventualities,” she said.

One of the trainees, 35-year-old Jemarlyn Oyong, said the training was very important to her since she operates a resort in Barangay Balet in Babak District.

“Not only it is required, I also would want to help save lives,” she said.

Oyong, one of the two women in the training, said she wanted to prove to everyone that she can be a certified lifeguard. (PNA)