Rescuers drag a boat along a flooded Marikina City following the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses in November 2020. Ted Aljibe, AFP/file
MANILA — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday said it is building a typhoon response facility in Marikina City to allow local authorities to respond faster in the face of natural disasters.
PCG National Capital Region and Central Luzon district commander Read Admiral Hostillo Arturo Cornelio said P50 million has been allotted for the said project, coming from a fund from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Cornelio and Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro recently met to discuss the building of the said facility, PCG said.
"This will allow the PCG to respond quickly in Marikina City during the typhoon season. This will be a strategic platform of waterborne search and rescue operations readily made available, as deemed necessary by the Marikeños," Cornelio said.
Marikina is among the cities in Metro Manila hardest hit by natural disasters. It notably bore the brunt of Tropical Storm Ondoy in 2009 and Typhoon Ulysses in 2020.
PCG also noted that its partnership with Marikina includes a joint "water quality monitoring" of the Marikina River to ensure the city's residents have access to clean water from the said river.
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