CAMP BADO DANGWA, LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET– A private citizen, after learning that various relief and humanitarian efforts were being conducted in Region 2, decided to help by lending her four pontoon boats and a swan boat to Police Regional Office Cordillera to be used in the search and rescue operations in flood-stricken Cagayan province.
Vivian Celso, a proprietor of the famous swan boats in Burnham Park, immediately contacted PCOL ALLEN RAE F CO, the City Director of Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) to inform him of her desire to help. Though her business was greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the boat owner did not hesitate to lend her source of livelihood to help our distressed “kakailyans” in Cagayan.
The boats, which could carry ten persons at a time, were ideal as rescue units since the fiberglass hulls were not easily punctured as compared to rubber boats. Two of these were already transported to Cagayan on Nov. 15, Sunday night, on board a boat trailer from a PNP Maritime Group based in Pangasinan. Formerly used for tourists in Burnham Lake, they became rescue boats in Cagayan.
The Cordillera police’s water search and rescue (WASAR) team was sent to Cagayan to help along with the boats.**PROCOR RPIO
