TARGET: ‘drown-free’ ZAMBALES

 

Long-time Zambales resident and resort owner Roger Bound is on a mission—he wants to stomp out drowning incidents in the beaches of Subic Bay and eventually the whole of Zambales province. His simple but effective idea—to deploy a local army of highly-trained lifeguards to patrol the province’s waters.

Bound’s brainchild “Drown-free Zambales” aims to have lifeguards patrol all popular beaches in the province especially during the peak months to protect local and foreign visitors and the local community.   “Subic can be a haven for foreign visitors, but it currently offers no or little aquatic safety resources,” said Bound. “If Subic wants to be ‘world-class’, it needs world-class lifeguards on its beaches.”

Drown-Free Zambales has already produced 30 lifeguards, patrolling stations in Iba, Botolan, San Narciso and San Antonio. “Our goal this year is to train an additional 50 and expand the number of beaches manned,” said Bound.

The project aims to train 400 lifeguards by 2015.  A partnership with the Subic-based power company RP Energy, the project found more support from members of the Zambales Resort Owners Association (ZAMROA), Philippine Life Saving Society, the Provincial Government of Zambales, Botolan and San Antonio local government units and Surf Life Saving Australia.

Training is free and covers all facets of aquatic safety. “Those who want to join the program need to perform at least 240 hours of community work each year and be willing to train and improve their saving and surveillance skills,” said Bound.

A number of those who have trained were previously unemployed. “Now, lifeguards under the program earn more than enough per day, plus lunch and merienda,” Bound said.

Participants of the program will be recognized globally, specifically by the International Life Saving Federation. “After a reassessment, their license is valid internationally, thus they can apply abroad and will have the most respected identity worldwide in life saving practices.”

Proof of the quality of its training, Drown-Free Zambales lifeguards under Zambales Team I won in the 2012 Philippine National Surf Life Saving Championships, known as the “Great Titan Challenge” held in Negros Occidental, beating Korean, Australian and other Philippine teams. Zambales Team II took fourth place.

In November, the Philippines will be represented for the first time by Zambales Team members at the World Surf Life Saving Championships that will be held in Adeleide, Australia.  “Life Saving is not only a job of saving other people’s lives, it is also about caring for one’s self, about being physically and mentally fit. It is in fact a culture practiced by a very big community around the world.” Bound said.