EDITORIAL

FOR as long as Nature has its way and produces undercurrents (locally called ‘sabang’) in waters near the shorelines, no beach is ever absolutely safe; not in Pangasinan, not in the Philippines, not anywhere in the world. This is a basic premise (because it is a reality) that anyone deploring the successive drowning incidents at Dagupan’s Bonuan Blue Beach the past two months would do well to consider before declaring the beach at Tondaligan Park as unsafe or treacherous.

The basic question remains: Are swimmers at Bonuan beach observing safety regulations foremost of which is not to swim too far out in the waters especially when big waves are crashing like mad as was the case in the Pangasinan-La Union shoreline last month? Add to that the cautionary word about not taking a dip while drunk or tipsy or about always having a companion in the water when swimming.

It would be most unfair for Dagupan’s beach to be summarily labeled unsafe in the wake of the recent incidents without considering the factor of negligence or carelessness that may have attended the tragedies. Where swimmers take unnecessary risks, there rises the degree of possible tragedies.

This is not to unduly or totally blame unfortunate victims of the beachwaters though too for, truth to tell, beach authorities may really need to increase their physical watch of the waters to at least prevent the reckless and foolhardy among swimmers from hurting themselves, or others. Yup, just the way those Baywatch guys on TV keep discipline among beachcombers.

Other than that, rescue or lifesaving facilities are sorely lacking in the city’s beaches. Old, inflated tires for rent peddled by some enterprising shed owners at the beach are hardly the ideal safety measures for a busy beach like Tondaligan.

That is why we are in accord with the suggestion of the park administrator for the city government to buy jetskis or even pumpboats for use by trained rescuers in Tondaligan during emergencies.

This should be one good investment for the city to dispel the growing notion that Dagupan only cares about inviting visitors to its beaches – then pretty much leaving them to their fates once they get here. Cruel, cruel impressions that wouldn’t sit well with the city’s stirring world-class ambitions.