The Philippine Coast Guard District Southern Visayas (CGDSV) headquarters will soon rise in Bago City in Negros Occidental.

Commodore Tito Alvin Andal, commander of CGDSV, said on Monday that the building will be constructed on a donated land in Barangay Calumangan of the southern Negros city.

“The bidding process is ongoing in the Manila headquarters. If the project will be awarded in two months, it will take one and a half years to complete,” he said.

Andal, who assumed his post on May 15, has jurisdiction over Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor. For now, he holds office at the PCG-Negros Occidental station in Barangay Banago in this city, where he held a press briefing on Monday with Lt. Commander Benjamin, chief of PCG-Negros Occidental.

He said that the CGDSV is also installing radar stations in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental and at Bredco port here within the year to boost their vessel monitoring capability.

“Radar stations are very important especially in the transit of our vessels plying these areas. These will be linked to the main radar station and coast watch system to get the real-time situation and scenario,” Andal said.

The PCG also has a facility in Hinoba-an, the southernmost town in Negros Occidental, which is being developed into a regional training center that can accommodate up to 1,000 trainees.

“We have plans to increase our strength by next year and in the future to 40,000 (personnel in the whole country) so there will be continuous training. That area in Hinoba-an is still in the process of being developed with the support of our partners in Negros,” Andal said.

This year, the PCG is set to hire at least 1,500 more personnel, out of which the CGDSV hopes to get an additional 50 people.

“It is possible once the new recruits graduate,” Andal added.

Benjamin said that currently, some 835 special operations group personnel are also undergoing training in the Hinoba-an facility. (PNA)