Beach resorts and other tourism-oriented establishments with swimming pools are required to put on duty trained lifeguards to protect the lives of their guests.

This was the categorical statement issued by Department of Tourism (DOT) Regional Director Dawnie Roa when interviewed by the Chronicle over the phone from her Cebu office yesterday.

She noted that there are establishments in the province which are not DOT-accreditted because of its failure to comply with the requirement of employing lifeguards. She did not identify the establishments. However, she clarified that DOT can only issue accreditation but do not have police powers to close a resort/establishment without lifeguards after the devolution of the local government code. These firms are getting business permits from the local government unit, Roa continued. The DOT official said that life guards can be trained by the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) who have licensed trainors based at local Red Cross chapters nationwide.

CALLING LIFEGUARDS. Tourism Regional Director Dawnie Roa (inset) calls on owners of beach resorts and establishments with swimming pools to comply with the requirement to have trained lifeguards, while photo shows life guard, Nixon Tongco, standing at the BBC swimming pool where a five-year-old boy accidentally drowned last Sunday. Foto DANNY REYES

However, in a check with Rita Requeron, acting PNRC-Bohol administrator, she told the Chronicle that since she assumed in 2003, no single resort in Panglao has requested for their services for the training of lifeguards. Her office received a query from the office of Panglao Mayor Doloreich Dumaluan few weeks before the latest visit of Pres. Arroyo here. However, nothing was finalized with the Panglao LGU nor with any beach resort. A certain Mark Galia, a local Red Cross volunteer, was trained by PNRC Manila on first aid, cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic life support. He is available to conduct training for life guards.

The statement of Director Roa came after the accidental drowning of a five-year-old boy at the Bohol Beach Club swimming pool last Sunday. The boy from Antipolo, Metro Manila was identified as Vincent Jean Olandres, only child of Mr. and Mrs. Raul Olandres, an overseas contract worker based in Angola whose wife, a Boholana, came home to attend a school reunion in Guindulman town.

A physician-resort guest identified as Dr. Wilson Du conducted the cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the drowning victim while the resort's life guard identified as Nixon Tongco, was at the vicinity of the pool attending to another resort guest who complained of something itchy after swimming at sea.

The victim was rushed to the Tagbilaran Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Panglao police ruled out any foul play on the incident while saying it was purely accidental.

Management of Bohol Beach Club paid all expenses incurred by the family who flew back to Manila the following day.

Meantime, Prov'l Tourism Council Chair Peter Dejaresco ordered last Monday an inventory of beach resorts and establishments with swimming pools. The inventory was conducted by the office of Prov'l Tourism Officer Baby Balio yesterday.

For his part, Panglao Mayor Dumaluan convened the Panglao Tourism Council yesterday afternoon to discuss measures on strict implementation on lifeguards at the resorts.

Requeron of the local Red Cross told the Chronicle yesterday that the office of Mayor Dumaluan called her office the other day to inquire about conducting training of lifeguards in Panglao resorts. She said that the training rate for a 16-hour course is P300 per person.