Fabricated fiberglass rescue boats ready for disaster operations

ORION, Bataan- Two newly-fabricated fiberglass rescue boats worth some P 946,000 were completed and overwhelmingly passed the stringent maritime requirements for disaster risk reduction and climate mitigation program of this coastal town.

The introduction of the new technology in the fabrication of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)–designed fiberglass rescue boats is a joint project of  the national government agency under small enterprise upgrading system   and the local government unit  headed by  Orion town Mayor Antonio L .Raymundo, Jr.

Ms. Catalina Cruz, Science Specialist II of the DOST-Bataan provincial science and technology center said local fisher folks belonging to Samahan at Ugnayan ng Pangisdaan sa Orion (SUGPO) have undergone trainings in fiberglass boat manufacturing in Sitio Pag-asa, Barangay Wawa, of this town.

Ms. Cruz explained the production and acquisition of two (2) units of fiberglass rescue boats, one smaller (8’ x 4’) and another bigger version (15’ by 5’) which the local government can use alternately or simultaneously during rescue operations in flooded areas and distribution of relief goods and may also be utilized by sea Marshalls in patrolling the coastal stretches of the town  and for other humanitarian missions.

She described that a fiberglass rescue boat has more advantages than the rubber boat namely lower price, cheaper maintenance, outboard motor which is light enough to be paddle driven and bigger capacity in terms of number of persons that can be accommodated.

According to Ms. Cruz the bigger size of fiberglass rescue boat has 8 to 12 persons capacity unlike the rubber boat of about the same size, has 6 to 10 capacity only.

Another good feature of the fiberglass rescue boat, is that it can accommodate animals and home appliances, has compartments for rescue operations equipment and can pass through narrow routes without being worn-out, Ms. Cruz said.

She added that Orion town was cited in the Geohazard Assessment Report of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) with 7 barangays which are low to moderately susceptible to flooding, three (3) villages which are lowly susceptible but with low-lying areas that are moderately to high susceptible, one (1) village moderately susceptible and two (2) villages moderate to highly susceptible.

These 13 barangays have a total population of about 27,000 and there are areas which are densely populated with marginalized and vulnerable people, Ms. Cruz added.