Antique’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) is set to become the province’s assessment center for the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) Lifeguard Services National Certificate (NC) II program.

TESDA-Antique Director Rick Abraham said Thursday the PDRRMO has the personnel and capability to assess trainees seeking national certification as lifeguards.

“We need to offer the Lifeguard Services NC II program in Antique because of our long coastline and mountain resorts,” Abraham said in an interview.

Antique has 15 coastal municipalities and several inland resorts that attract local and foreign tourists, increasing the need for trained lifeguards equipped with water rescue, resuscitation, and emergency care skills, he said.

Abraham said the PDRRMO already has personnel trained in water rescue and emergency response.
To qualify as a TESDA assessment center, the office only needs to complete the trainers’ methodology course and submit the required documents, including a letter of intent.

Once accredited, the PDRRMO will assess the competency of Lifeguard Services NC II graduates before they are issued national certificates required for employment.

Abraham said expanding access to lifeguard training and certification could help reduce drowning incidents in the province.

Provincial records show 134 drowning incidents from 2019 to 2025, including 126 fatalities. Many victims did not receive immediate water rescue, resuscitation, or emergency care, he said. (PNA)