Lifeguards and water safety organisations in the Philippines

In the Philippines, lifeguard training is led by the Philippine Life Saving Society (PLSS), the Philippine Red Cross and TESDA-accredited training institutions, while the Philippine Coast Guard has issued resort safety guidelines and the Department of Health sets sanitation rules for public swimming places and gives public advice. There is no single national lifeguard licence we could verify, so it pays to ask which certificate a lifeguard holds.

This guide is general information, not a substitute for training. In an emergency, call 911.

Who are the main water safety organisations?

Philippine Life Saving Society. The society says it was incorporated in August 2007 by five people in the aquatic professions, and the International Life Saving Federation lists it as a full member (ILSF member page, updated 23 August 2022). Its own site calls it Philippine Life Saving (PLS), with headquarters in Bacolod City and a satellite office in Pasig City (PLS). It hosts the Philippine Drowning Prevention Council (PDPC), an NGO-led consultative forum created in July 2010 and launched in August 2011, which notes that 28 PLS Lifesaving Centers nationwide largely embraced its plan (PDPC page). The PLS TVET Academy describes itself as a TESDA-accredited institution and a TESDA Competency Assessment Center since 2018, offering Lifeguard Services NC II and NC III (PLS TVET Academy). The council's Philippine Drowning Prevention Plan 2021-2025 aims to halve drowning incidents, from an identified 10,000 a year to 5,000 or fewer by 2025, and makes recommendations on lifeguard competency and resort standards, covered below (plan PDF). It is the council's own plan, not a government policy.

Philippine Red Cross. The PRC's training page lists Standard First Aid and BLS CPR with AED (four days, minimum 32 hours), Occupational First Aid and BLS CPR with AED (two days, minimum 16 hours), Emergency First Aid (8 hours, ages 13 and up) and several BLS CPR courses. Its BLS CPR course for responders (minimum 8 hours, ages 18 and up) names lifeguards among its audience. It also lists Water Safety Programs: Learn to Swim, Basic Water Safety and Rescue, Lifeguarding and Swift Water Rescue, without durations, schedules or entry requirements (Philippine Red Cross, Trainings). For current offerings, use the PRC contact page.

TESDA. The TESDA Board approved training regulations for Lifeguard Services NC II and NC III for lifeguards in swimming areas nationwide, with help from PLSS, and the regulations were strengthened in December 2015 (TESDA news, 8 April 2018).

Philippine Coast Guard. See the resort section below.

Department of Health. In 2011 the DOH recommended close child supervision, flotation devices and training in first aid, basic life support and basic survival swimming for children and adults, in a draft National Framework of Action on Drowning Prevention (Vera Files, 15 December 2011). In a Holy Week report, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire urged parents to choose establishments with lifeguards on duty and the public to check that floating devices and rescue equipment are available, as reported by Malaya (Malaya, undated in our copy; read through a search-result excerpt because the page blocked our fetch).

Safe Kids Philippines. A study titled "Child drowning in the Philippines: The silent killer speaks" was carried out by Safe Kids Philippines, PLSS and DOH. It analysed data from 1963 to 2003 and found drowning to be the second leading cause of death among children aged one to 14, as reported on 20 December 2009 (Manongdo, "Drowning: Silent killer of RP kids", hosted by ILSF). We could not confirm an official website for Safe Kids Philippines.

How are lifeguards certified in the Philippines?

There is more than one route, and they overlap.

• TESDA national certificates. Lifeguard Services NC II and NC III are TESDA qualifications. The PLS e-learning list describes NC II as a qualification covering the competencies lifeguards need to prevent and respond to drowning, mainly in still water such as pools at recreation facilities, hotels and resorts, and NC III as covering advanced skills and techniques in water safety, lifesaving and rescue at open water (PLS e-learning course list). The PLS TVET Academy says it is a TESDA-accredited assessment centre (since 2018) offering both. Trainee entry requirements are in the TESDA training regulations (NC II, NC III); the files would not open as readable text in our tools, so we state none. Ask TESDA or a training provider.
• PLS certifications. PLS lists Bronze Medallion Pool Lifeguard, Beach Lifeguard, Inland Water Lifeguard and Surf Lifeguard certifications, each aimed at its own kind of venue; its page calls the Bronze Medallion "the minimum competency required for Lifeguards worldwide". The page does not state prerequisites or course length (PLS, Lifesaver/Lifeguard Education & Training).
• Philippine Red Cross. The PRC lists a Lifeguarding programme, but its pages give no syllabus or prerequisites, so we describe none (Philippine Red Cross, Trainings).
• Philippine Coast Guard. The PCG Memorandum Circular 03-14 sets guidelines for safety and security requirements of coastal and beach resorts and vessels with pool facilities, including lifeguard qualifications (SunStar, 2 October 2017). Reports date the circular to 16 April 2014 and give its full title as "Guidelines for Safety and Security Requirements of Coastal and Beach Resorts and Vessels with Pool Facilities, including Qualifications and Requirements of Lifeguards for the Promotion of Life at Sea" (Manila Bulletin, 12 March 2023, citing a PCG Station Cagayan inspection; read through a search-result excerpt because the page blocked our fetch). A Philippine Information Agency feature, also read through a search-result excerpt, says the circular requires enough lifeguards trained by accredited organisations such as the Philippine Red Cross, Philippine Life Saver or the Coast Guard (PIA, 7 March 2024). We have not read the circular itself.
• What the drowning prevention council recommends. The council's 2021-2025 plan recommends that all aquatic lifesavers and pool, recreational, river/lake, beach and surf lifeguards be required to hold Lifeguard Services NC II and NC III with TESDA, and that the PLS aquatic risk and safety audit checklist be the operating standard for beach and surf resorts. These are recommendations to government, not current law (plan PDF).

In practice, the safest question is "which certificate do you hold, and is it current?"

Is a lifeguard required at resorts and pools?

Several rules exist at different levels, and we could not find one single national rule that settles it everywhere.

• DOH sanitation rules. The DOH's Implementing Rules and Regulations of Chapter VIII (Public Swimming or Bathing Places) of the Code on Sanitation (P.D. 856), adopted 30 January 1998, say a swimming pool or bathing place shall have an adequate number of lifeguards in constant attendance when in use, and that public bathing beaches and other public natural bathing places shall have one or more lifeguards on duty during bathing hours, who must hold a nationally recognised life-saving certificate (DOH IRR, Chapter VIII, as reproduced by Lawyerly). We have not checked whether these rules have been amended since 1998, and we read them on a legal-text site, not on the DOH site.
• Beach resorts. The PCG circular above covers coastal and beach resorts. In 2015 the PCG in the Davao Region asked resorts to have two lifeguards each during the summer season (Commodore Joselito de la Cruz, as reported by Davao Today, 8 April 2015). That was a regional request, not a national standard.
• Public pools, proposed law. Senate Bill 1142, the "Lifeguard Act of 2022", filed in the 19th Congress by Sen. Win Gatchalian, would require at least one certified lifeguard for each public pool plus one more for each additional 250 square metres, with lifeguards certified by DOH-accredited organisations. Gatchalian's office was still pushing for its passage in March 2024 (Gatchalian's office, 31 March 2024; see also PIA, 8 April 2024). A search-result excerpt of an Inquirer report indicates he renewed the call in April 2025 (Inquirer; the page blocked our fetch). We found no evidence the bill became law and no 20th Congress version, but our search was limited.
• Local ordinances. Local governments set their own rules. Bacolod City Ordinance No. 08-15-749 (15 July 2015) requires beach and resort owners to show certification of employing a certified lifeguard as a prerequisite for a business permit, and says no pool, beach resort, water park, spa or wading pool shall be opened without a certified lifeguard. It also bars night swimming beyond 10:00 pm unless certified lifeguards are on duty and lighting is adequate. The ordinance defines a certified lifeguard as an experienced swimmer trained in water safety, rescue and life-saving techniques by the Philippine Red Cross or through training certified by the Philippine Coast Guard (Bacolod City, C.O. 08-15-749). It applies in Bacolod only.

What to look for in a resort's lifeguard

These are practical checks from our editorial team, not a legal standard.

1. A named certificate. Ask what the lifeguard is certified in: Bronze Medallion, Beach or Inland Water Lifeguard, TESDA Lifeguard Services NC II or III, or a Red Cross qualification. A resort that is proud of its team will say.
2. A dedicated post. The lifeguard should have a clear view of the swimming area and not be doing other jobs, such as serving food or tending the bar.
3. Rescue equipment in sight. The DOH has advised the public to check that floating devices and rescue equipment are available (Malaya report above).
4. Current first-aid and CPR training. The PRC's responder CPR course lists lifeguards among its audience; ask when the lifeguard last renewed.
5. Enough lifeguards for the crowd. One person cannot watch a full beach on a holiday weekend.
6. Visible rules and zones. Swimming areas marked with buoys or flags, depth signs, and no-swim areas clearly shown.
7. A way to call for help. Know the resort's emergency plan and the nearest hospital, and remember that 911 is the national emergency number.

If something looks wrong, such as no lifeguard on duty or no equipment, choose another place or swim in a group with a designated watcher. Details on resort and beach hazards are in Where and how drownings happen in the Philippines.

How can you train as a lifeguard or rescuer?

• Contact the PLS through its contact page and ask about the Lifesaving Centre nearest you, the TVET Academy and lifeguard certifications. Its e-learning course list shows course fees; we reproduce none because they change.
• Look for a TESDA-accredited institution offering Lifeguard Services NC II or NC III. TESDA's news item says the qualifications are offered by TESDA-accredited technical vocational institutions (TESDA, 8 April 2018); we have no list of accredited centres, so ask the TESDA regional or provincial office.
• Ask your nearest Philippine Red Cross office about Basic Water Safety and Rescue, Lifeguarding and first aid courses (PRC contact page).
• Start with first aid and CPR, and build your swimming fitness. The PRC's BLS CPR course for responders names lifeguards as part of its audience. Fees vary, so we list none here; ask each provider.
• Be wary of any course that promises "instant" lifeguard certification, and ask whether the certificate is recognised by TESDA, PLS or the Red Cross (editorial suggestion).

Not a lifeguard? Learn what any adult can do

Most rescues are made by the people nearby. The PRC lists first aid and BLS CPR courses, including BLS Adult CPR for Lay Rescuers, and PLS lists a Resuscitation and Emergency Care course (Philippine Red Cross, Trainings; PLS). See The drowning chain of survival and Learning to swim in the Philippines. For group outings and resorts, trained staff can keep rescue buoys ready; see our Safety Buoys.

Sources

1. International Life Saving Federation. Philippine Life Saving Society member page (updated 23 August 2022). https://www.ilsf.org/organisation/philippines/
2. Philippine Life Saving (PLS) website (accessed 2026): home https://philippinelifesaving.org ; Lifesaver/Lifeguard Education & Training https://philippinelifesaving.org/7-mandates/lifesaver-lifeguard-education-training/ ; e-learning course list https://philippinelifesaving.org/courses-list/ ; TVET Academy https://philippinelifesaving.org/about-us/the-pls-tvet-academy/ ; Philippine Drowning Prevention Council https://philippinelifesaving.org/about-us/the-philippine-drowning-prevention-council-pdpc/ ; contact https://philippinelifesaving.org/about-us/contact-us/
3. Philippine Drowning Prevention Council. Philippine Drowning Prevention Plan 2021-2025. https://philippinelifesaving.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Philippine-Drowning-Prevention-Plan-2021-2025.pdf
4. Philippine Red Cross, Trainings (accessed 2026). https://redcross.org.ph/trainings
5. TESDA. News, 8 April 2018, on lifeguard training regulations. https://tesda.gov.ph/Media/NewsDetail/17769 ; training regulations, https://tesda.gov.ph/Downloadables/TR-Lifeguard%20Services%20NC%20II.pdf and https://tesda.gov.ph/Downloadables/TR-Lifeguard%20Services%20NC%20III.pdf
6. SunStar Bacolod, "Deployment of lifeguards reiterated," 2 October 2017. https://www.sunstar.com.ph/more-articles/deployment-of-lifeguards-reiterated
7. Manila Bulletin, "Coast Guard inspects beach resorts in Cagayan," 12 March 2023 (search-result excerpt). https://mb.com.ph/2023/3/12/coast-guard-inspects-beach-resorts-in-cagayan
8. Philippine Information Agency, "Are you ready to hit the beach this summer," 7 March 2024 (search-result excerpt). https://mirror.pia.gov.ph/features/2024/03/07/are-you-ready-to-hit-the-beach-this-summer-follow-these-tips-to-help-make-your-romp-in-the-sand-safely
9. Davao Today, "Resort owners must have two lifeguards: Coast Guard," 8 April 2015. https://davaotoday.com/economy/resort-owners-must-have-two-lifeguards-coast-guard/
10. Bacolod City. City Ordinance No. 08-15-749, 15 July 2015. https://bacolodcity.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/C.O.-08-15-749.pdf
11. Department of Health. Implementing Rules and Regulations of Chapter VIII, "Public Swimming or Bathing Places," Code on Sanitation of the Philippines (P.D. 856), adopted 30 January 1998 (text as reproduced by Lawyerly). https://dev.lawyerly.ph/laws/42156
12. Senator Win Gatchalian's office, on Senate Bill No. 1142 "Lifeguard Act of 2022," 31 March 2024. https://wingatchalian.com/?p=32247 ; Philippine Information Agency, 8 April 2024. https://pia.gov.ph/news/2024/04/08/gatchalian-sounds-alarm-on-drowning-incidents-pushes-for-lifeguards-in-public-pools ; Inquirer (search-result excerpt). https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2051559/gatchalian-wants-lifeguards-for-every-public-pool
13. Vera Files, "8 Filipinos die of drowning every day: DOH," 15 December 2011. https://verafiles.org/articles/8-filipinos-die-of-drowning-every-day-doh
14. Malaya, "DOH: Pick resorts, beaches with lifeguards" (search-result excerpt; undated in our copy). https://malaya.com.ph/news/doh-pick-resorts-beaches-with-lifeguards
15. Manongdo JF. "Drowning: Silent killer of RP kids," 20 December 2009, hosted by the International Life Saving Federation. https://ilsf.org/?p=687

Last reviewed: 12 October 2026.