Bill To Protect Rights, Interests of Filipino Seafarers Passed on Final Reading in The House

The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading a measure that seeks to protect the rights and interests of Filipino seafarers, ensuring that they have “full protection” before, during, and after employment, especially in the event of maritime accidents, epidemics or pandemics, or other natural or man-made crisis. Voting 304 against 4, the chamber overwhelmingly voted to pass…



Box of Assorted Shark’s Fin Intercepted by BFAR-8 and PCG

A box of assorted shark’s fin with an estimated weight of 11 kilograms and an estimated worth of Php77,000 loaded inside an Eagle Star Bus headed to Cubao/Pasay was found by the BFAR 8 Fisheries Inspection Quarantine Officer and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) stationed in Sta. Clara Port in Allen, Northern Samar, in the late afternoon of 17-March-2023. Said box…


Danish Firm Investing $5B for Offshore Wind Projects In Philippines

MANILA – Danish firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) is investing USD5 billion to develop three (3) offshore wind energy projects in the Philippines with a potential capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW). Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Raphael Lotilla and CIP associate partner Przemek Lupa signed three offshore wind energy service contracts at the DOE Office in Taguig City on Thursday, 30-March-2023….





Dotr Usec – Maritime Sector Commodore Elmer Francisco Sarmiento Pcga Gives an Inspirational Message on Board BRP Gabriela Silang

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,…


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Japan’s First Large-Scale Offshore Wind Farm Starts Operations

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…


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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ARMY COMBAT ENGINEER BRIGADE AND NAVY AMPHIBIOUS CONSTRUCTION BRIGADE

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…


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Maritime Legislation

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….


General Assembly Adopts the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships

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…


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Ambassadors of European Union Member-States in the Philippines Visit Navy Base

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,…


Our Submarine Chasers

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…


Medieval Shipwreck Discovered in Norway’s Largest Lake

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…


What Is a Red Tide?

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…


Leading Shipping Banks and Marine Insurers Pave the Way For 1.5C-Aligned Emissions Benchmarking

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…


IT’S TIME FOR WETLANDS RESTORATION!

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…



Shipping’s Future Role in Carbon Capture and Storage

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…


MARINA Leads Philippine Delegation to IMO HTW 9 Meeting in London

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…


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Why Skills Development is Vital for Shipping’s Green Transition

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 YEAR 2023 OPENS WITH A PROMISE: SAAD PROGRAM TO LIFT FISHERFOLK OUT OF POVERTY

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…


Book Review: INNOVATING VICTORY Naval Technology in Three Wars

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…