The Philippine Coast Guard has deployed two search-and-rescue vessels to Negros Oriental to help in the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts in the wake of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit the province and other parts of the Visayas Monday.

The two SARVs are the 35-meter long BRP Davao del Norte and the 56-meter long BRP Pampanga, which are docked at the port in the capital city of Dumaguete, said Lt. Commander Agapito Bibat, commander of the local Coast Guard Station.

Both ships are alternating their trips to give time for refueling and loading of relief goods, rescue workers and other volunteers. They are also to ferry earthquake victims and patients needing further medical attention per recommendation of doctors in the quake-affected areas.

On Wednesday, the BRP Davao del Norte left for Guihulngan City to ferry relief goods such as water and food, as well as rescue volunteers from the Negros Oriental Search and Rescue and the Bureau of Fire Protection,  Bibat said.

The ship returned Wednesday evening with one of four patients earlier arranged for transfer to Dumaguete.

Bibat identified the patient as a certain Florencia Bustamante, 87, a resident of Guihulngan and reportedly a relative of a judge.

On Thursday, the BRP Pampanga departed around noon to ferry relief goods such as 100 pieces of plywood donated by Earnest Uymatiao of the SolidAce Construction and Development via the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines-Dumaguete chapter, and also those from the Red Cross.*JFP

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