Not only is the radar station inaugurated in Hiyop, Pandan last Friday the first-ever Coast Guard radar facility in the Bicol region but it is also the first along the eastern seaboard of the Philippines near the resource-rich Benham Rise.
This was stressed by Governor Joseph Cua and PCG officials led by Commodore Philipps Soria, commander of Coast Guard District Bicol, during the formal inauguration and blessing of the facility at the two-storey Hiyop View Deck last July 26, 2024.
Cua stressed that hundreds of ships pass to the east of the island on their way to deliver cargo to China, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea to the north as well as Australia and New Zealand to the south.
He likewise cited the need for the radar station to keep its eyes on the lookout for suspicious vessels such as the Chinese research ship that loitered to the north of Viga recently on a possible survey mission.
In his message that was read by Commo. Soria, PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said the installation of the radar station will not only enhance the country’s maritime security but also improve the PCG’s ability to monitor and respond to potential threats in a timely manner due to the surveillance and detection capabilities it provides.
“With advanced radar technology, we will be able to track and identify aircraft and ships in our airspace and waters more effectively,” he emphasized.
Furthermore, Adm. Gavan stated, the radar station will also play a crucial role in disaster response and management in times of natural disasters or emergencies.
“Having real-time information about air traffic and maritime activities can make a significant difference in coordinating rescue efforts and providing aid to those in need,” he said.
The PCG chief disclosed that the service is continuously working on the enhancement of its communication capabilities and maritime domain awareness through the establishment of proposed radar stations at different strategic areas across the country.
“Presently, there are six (6) radar stations already activated in Mindanao area and utilized by CG Districts as operational control facilities that provide monitoring of transiting vessels within the radar range, detect unlawful activities within the sea area, report illegal entries or foreign vessel intrusions, and respond to any maritime distress or disasters,” Gavan bared.
Commo. Soria disclosed that the PCG’s six (6) existing radar stations are all in the country’s south quadrant in Mindanao at the Zamboanga peninsula.
He said that the radar facility here was not intended for Catanduanes but was moved here to address the need for detection and surveillance in the eastern seaboard, especially of foreign vessel incursions into the country’s 12-nautical mile territorial limit.
“We can’t guard our seas within the 200-kilometer Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) or even the 150-km continental shelf where there is abundant food and mineral resources,” Soria admitted. “But we have to start guarding it now to ensure the integrity of our maritime jurisdiction.”
He said that the radar facility can extend the PCG’s eyes up to 70 nautical miles or at a maximum 96 NM radius, reaching the area where thousands of vessels traverse the Philippine Sea east of Catanduanes,
It can also monitor the small vessels of local fishermen using the Forward-Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) that has a range of five (5) nautical miles.
He thanked the provincial government for hauling the equipment from Virac to Pandan, Mayor Raul Tabirara and the local government of Pandan, 905th PCG Auxiliary senior adviser Capt. Ariel Tabirara who donated construction materials for the foundation of the radar tower, Scan Marine Inc. for installing the radar equipment and tower, local resident Donata Oliver who allowed PCG to temporarily tap her power connection, municipal tourism officer Rochelle Bernardo, and former Mayor Honesto Tabligan II who signed the Memorandum of Understanding with PCG that paved the way for the latter’s use of the view deck.
PCGA’s Tabirara told the Tribune that he offered to provide the aggregates, cement and other materials for the tower foundation after learning that the PCG’s allocated funding of P200,000 was short of P50,000.
He said he was apprehensive that the radar facility could be offered to other Bicol provinces if nobody would step in to address the deficiency.
According to Lt. Elwin Madridano, commander of the Weapons, Communications, Electronics and Information Systems (WCEIS) at CGD Bicol, the Furono radar system and tower was actually purchased in 2019.
The PCG decided to make use of the idle equipment to extend its detection and surveillance capabilities to the eastern seaboard of the country.
He said the tower reinforced concrete foundation was completed in five days while Scan Marine set up the tower in a week and then provided two days of training on the operation and maintenance of the facility. to 20 PCG personnel based in the mainland.
Four of the trained personnel take two-week turns in operating the Hiyop radar station, which has yet to be connected to the power grid for lack of a transformer as it reportedly needs three-phase electricity.
As the equipment is said to consume a large amount of power, the radar is operated at full power only when needed.
Lt. Madridano said that normally, all passing vessels’ necessary data are seen on the radar screen if their Automatic Identification System (AIS) is turned on. The system continuously transmits vessels’ position, identity, speed, and course, along with other relevant information.
The PCG personnel use the radio to contact the passing vessel if they are in range, with the station recording data on the ship name, flag registry, vessel type, last port of call, next port of call, cargo on board, crew on board, as well as its distance from the radar and time detected.
However, there are instances when a vessel turns off its AIS, in which case it is tagged as a suspicious vessel by the PCG and tracked via another worldwide system, IORIS, which is a web-based marine information sharing tool.
Even in times of bad weather, especially rough seas, the radar settings could be adjusted to detect the presence of small fishing vessels like motorized bancas as it could detect a floating object as small as two meters by two meters.
Two more radar stations are planned for Prieto Diaz and Donsol, Sorsogon to monitor the sea east of the province and along Ticao Pass off Masbate, he said.