MANILA, PHILIPPINES – According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), 34 drowning incidents over the Holy Week holiday that began on March 27 resulted in the deaths of 29 persons on Sunday.
The youngest among the 12 minor-aged fatalities was four years old, while the oldest was 78, PNP information chief and spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said in a radio interview.
Three are still missing – one in Rosales, Pangasinan; Jones, Isabela; and Tumauini, Isabela.
Fajardo said most of the drowning cases were reported in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) with 10, followed by Ilocos and Cagayan Valley Regions with six each, and Bicol Region with five deaths.
Two children were saved: a four-year-old boy in Ilocos Sur and another in Aurora province.
“In Ilocos Sur, our personnel were able to successfully perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) on a four-year-old boy. We also deployed SAR (Search and Rescue)-trained personnel in Aurora, and this led to the rescue of another drowning victim,” she stated.
Cases of drowning are high during Holy Week break when thousands of people take advantage of the long vacation to go to various beaches and resorts.
More than 52,000 police officers were deployed nationwide for Lenten security, including those highly trained in lifesaving.
“We are still on heightened alert status because we are expecting the return of millions of people from the provinces starting Sunday. So our personnel are still deployed in major thoroughfares, recreational areas, and of course in bus terminals, seaports, and airports,” she added.
According to Fajardo, the PNP’s heightened alert status is expected to be lifted on Monday, April 1.
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