THE SOUTH CHINA SEA ARBITRATION (The Republic of the Philippines V. The People’s Republic of China) The Hague, 12 July 2016 The Tribunal Renders Its Award A unanimous Award has been issued today by the Tribunal constituted under Annex VII to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (the “Convention”) in the arbitration instituted by the Republic…
MANILA, 11 JULY 2016 — The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is turning another chapter in its corporate life as it celebrates its 42nd Founding Anniversary today beaming with hope and pride with the entry of the new administration. Armed with a new Vision that “by 2020, PPA shall have provided port services of global standards,” officers and staff, are ecstatic…
In the 112th Maritime Forum, I responded positively to the proposal of a former Undersecretary of National Defense, Atty. Fernando Campos to discuss Strategy. He suggested discussing “National Security Scenarios for the post-election period.” Campos was also a former Governor of Cavite and a former Congressman of Cavite. He sent me his discussion paper, THE BIRTH OF A NEW PHILIPPINES:…
During the China-ASEAN Dialogue between Senior Defense Scholars held at Beijing, China on 11 – 15 March 2008, I presented a paper on Confidence-Building Measures Towards Greater Regional Stability. Military modernization in China was being perceived in a way that caused concern to some countries which fear a repeat of the arms race during the Cold War on one hand…
In 1998, the former Flag Officer In Command of the Philippine Navy, then Vice Admiral Eduardo Ma R Santos AFP, endorsed to the Department of National Defense the concept paper for the development of submarine capability for the Philippine Navy. VADM Santos is the proponent of the nucleus of submarine warfare in the PN. The Department of National Defense acknowledged…
On the first of June 2016, Transas completed the installation of Scotland’s most advanced integrated ship simulator suite in the City of Glasgow College, the country’s largest college. The simulation solution from Transas forms a core part of the new Riverside Campus, Phase One of the City of Glasgow College’s super campus development. The installed simulator suite includes a full…
The defense of the Philippines from both internal and external threats is the principal business of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). To enable the AFP to fully perform its mandate, it should possess affordable war fighting capabilities that can also be used for operations other than war (OOTW) like counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief, search and rescue,…
On April 28 2016, at a ceremony in Hobart Tasmania, the Australian Government signed a contract with DMS Maritime, a wholly owned subsidiary of Serco, for the delivery, operation and maintenance of an Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) with icebreaking capabilities. The vessel will be built by the Damen Shipyards Group and will form an integral part of the Australian…
A new series of Damen vessels offers flexibility and reduced total cost of ownership by means of modular mission modules with proven technologies. On 8 June 2016, during the Oceanographic Survey Vessel Conference in London, Damen Shipyards Group announced the introduction of a new range of Multi-Role Auxiliary Vessels (MRAV). The common theme running through the series was the provision…
The 109th Maritime Breakfast Forum (MBF 109) was hosted by the Cebu Ports Authority (CPA) and held at the CPA in Cebu City on 11 February 2016. Commo. Carlos L. Agustin (Ret), President of the Maritime League, called the forum to order at 1:00pm. He announced that instead of only one presentation from the CPA, there will be two other…
Upon the invitation from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines’ (NHCP) Executive Director Ludovico Badoy, FVR was Guest of Honor and Speaker at the 118th Anniversary of the Battle of Alapan that transpired on 28 May 1898. The commemorative program was held at Dambana ng Pambansang Watawat (Shrine of the National Flag), Heritage Park, Miguel Santo, Alapan, Imus, Cavite. The Battle…
The Humboldt is a large predatory squid living in the waters of the Humboldt Current in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. It is commonly called jumbo squid, jumbo flying, pota, or diablo rojo. The Humboldt Squid (specie Dosidicus gigas) is among the largest of squids, with a length exceeding 6 ft. and mass weight of up to 100 lbs. It has…
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