Four years ago, in January 2019, news reports came out that the United States Army would divest its Maritime Capability beginning with 18 of its 35 large Runnymede Class Landing Craft Utilities and one of its 8 Frank S Besson Class Landing Support Vessels (LSVs), 2 of which were already in service with the Philippine Navy as the Bacolod City…
Bagong Calarian, Zamboanga City – The Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), through its Naval Task Force 61’s 1st Boat Attack Division, conducted rescue and assistance to the crew and passengers of a commercial vessel that caught fire in the early dawn of 30-March-2023. The commercial vessel named M/V Lady Mary Joy was loaded with 35 crew including master and 205…
At the BEACON 2023 Maritime Conference and Exhibition of the Maritime League launching on board BRP Gabriela Silang on 28-March-2023 at Pier 13 South Harbor, the Department of Transportation Undersecretary – Maritime Sector Elmer Francisco Sarmiento gave a speech. Here it is in its entirety. Vice Admiral Eduardo Santos, president and board chairman of The Maritime League; Admiral Artemio Abu,…
Japan’s first large-scale offshore wind farm had finally started commercial operations at Noshiro Port in the northern prefecture of Akita on 22-December-2022. It is part of Japan’s efforts to build a carbon-neutral environment. Generally, offshore wind farms use larger turbines that enable more stable wind power generation than onshore turbines. 20 turbines with 60-meter-long blades started operating, with 13 more…
INTRODUCTION This article is a product of research work that will differentiate the function of the Army Combat Engineer Brigade from the Navy Amphibious Construction Brigade of the SEABEES. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Army Combat Engineer A sapper, in the sense first used by the French military, was one who dug trenches to allow besieging forces to advance towards the enemy defensive…
According to Atty Brenda Pimentel: “It is unfortunate that in this archipelago, there is no overarching policy direction that binds into a cohesive maritime aspiration. The fisheries sector, maritime transport industry, coastal tourism, recreational sector, marine environment protection and many more ocean-based activities are undertaken almost exclusively by each other, although at times it is submitted, collaboration is initiated….
The United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships on 7-December-2022. The General Assembly authorized a signing ceremony for the Convention to be held as soon as practicable in 2023 in Beijing and recommended the Convention be known as the “Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships. In most…
The Ambassadors of EU member-states in the Philippines led by H.E. Ambassador Luc Véron, visited the Philippine Navy’s Naval Operating Base in Subic, and were warmly welcomed by the base commander LT COL Ferdinand Foronda. The dignitaries also received a briefing on-site. The Ambassadors reiterated the EU’s commitment to a secure, free, and open maritime supply routes in the Indo-Pacific,…
INTRODUCTION After the reconstitution of the Offshore Patrol (OSP) in 1945, a subsequent build up followed with the arrival of former US Coast Guard Lighthouse Tenders by 1947, surplus ships of the United States Navy made its way to the OSP from the Patrol Craft Escorts (PCE), Landing Ship Tanks (LST’s), and Submarine Chasers (SC’s). Unknown to many, from 1945…
Archaeologists working for the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment made the discovery while hunting for unexploded WWII ammunition, and say it could become one of the country’s oldest-ever shipwrecks. Sonar images of the wreck site show the hull of the 10-metre-long wooden ship, which is lying on the lake bed at around 410m beneath the surface. Speaking to Live Science, maritime archaeologist Øyvind…
Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae—simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. The human illnesses caused by HABs, though rare, can be debilitating or even fatal. While many people call these blooms ‘red tides,’ scientists prefer the…
30 shipping banks and 17 marine insurance providers and brokers announce today the Poseidon Principles will add additional trajectories to report climate alignment with a 1.5C future. This new commitment will align the Poseidon Principles with the ambition of the UN and the latest available climate science. The Poseidon Principles have committed to adopting an emissions reduction trajectory in line…
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station Eastern Sarangani participated in the MANGROVE PLANTING & CLEAN-UP DRIVE activities in celebration of “WORLD WETLANDS DAY” at Sitio Mauswagon, Barangay Glan-Padidu, Glan, Sarangani Province, on 03-February-2023. Personnel of CGS Eastern Sarangani led by Station Commander CG ENS KENNETH JOY R ALCANTARA,kqwd and the Sub-Station personnel joined the Mangrove Planting Activity and Clean-up Drive…
We are pleased to host an exclusive interview with Mr Bjørn Kjærand Haugland, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Skift Business Climate Leaders which is a Norwegian business-led climate initiative with a mission to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy and support the government in delivering on its national climate commitments by 2030. Mr Haugland enumerates the key areas that…
Over the next decade, carbon capture will start to play a larger role in the fight against climate change. And with more industry stakeholders looking at different transportation options between capture sites and storage locations, liquid CO2 carriers will become an important link in the value chain. Released in August 2022, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report reached some disturbing…
The Philippine delegation, headed by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), participated in the 9th Session of the Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training, and Watchkeeping (HTW) held on 06 to 10 February 2023 at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters, London, United Kingdom. The HTW deals with the human side of shipping, including training and certification, review and revision of IMO…
Moving towards a low-emission global economy will create tens of millions of new ‘green jobs’ across sectors including shipping. The renewable energy industry alone is projected to generate 38.2 million jobs by 2030. The effects of the green transition on employment are also requiring workforces across multiple sectors to reskill and upskill. This, coupled with new technologies, such as artificial…
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Office IX conducted the CY2023 Target Setting of Plans, Programs, and Activities Based on the Approved GAA FY2023 back-to-back with the conduct of Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Framework Planning Preparation Workshop headed by the newly appointed and full-fledged BFAR IX Regional Director, Al-zath K Kunting, RFP. The said activity…
INTRODUCTION The word technology is a compound of two Greek roots, tekhne for craft, and logia for learning. Technology then is the practical application of knowledge expressed through the use of a crafted device. This book focuses on 6 technologies in 3 broad categories: Weapon, Tool, and Platform. A weapon is to damage a target; a tool is to assist…
The 2023 budget deliberations and recent legislative hearings once more brought to the fore their observation about our present inability to confront intrusions into the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Rise. One senator urged “the government to expedite the buildup of defense forces in the WPS.” Another congressman was advocating to stress lethality in the development of this force….
As the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) reports a high demand for its helpline services over the last year, it is clear that accessible welfare and support services for seafarers worldwide remain a priority for the maritime industry. In its newly released annual review covering 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022, ISWAN reports that the total number…
MAKATI CITY 07-December 2022 – The Philippines hosted the 12th ASEAN Maritime Forum and the 10th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum in Manila on 06 and 07 December 2022, gathering participants from ASEAN and its partners in a two-day discussion on a wide range of maritime issues. Established in 2010, the AMF is a venue for dialogue on a wide range of maritime…
Military personnel from the Philippines, United States, Australia, France, Japan, and United Kingdom kicked off exercise Sama Sama-Lumbas in Cebu, Philippines on 11-October-2022. Sama Sama is an annual bilateral navy-to-navy exercise between the Philippine Navy (PN) and the U.S. Navy (USN), while Lumbas is a yearly bilateral navy-to-navy exercise between PN and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). This is the…
A new report compiled by maritime innovation consultancy, Thetius, makes a compelling case that shipping companies seeking to meet current and emerging challenges facing the maritime industry will benefit from a strategic approach to connectivity. Published by Inmarsat, a world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, ‘The Network Effect: Strategizing Connectivity at Sea for Maximum Impact’ also provides guidance on…
NEW YORK (1-November-2022) –A growing reliance on private contractors to protect vessels, commercial shipping, offshore platforms, ports, and other maritime infrastructure has exposed human rights violations perpetrated by mercenaries and private military and security companies, UN experts said. A report presented to the General Assembly by the Working Group on the use of mercenaries explores how the maritime security sector has evolved…