SUBIC, Zambales – Part II of the Marine Aviation Support Activity (MASA) 2022 between the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) was conducted in Zambales and Taguig City during 18-22, July 2022. This included, among others, Helicopter Rope Suspension Training and Aeromedical Evacuation Training. BGen. Raul Jesus L. Caldez PN(M), acting Commandant of the Philippine Marine…
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Among the 17 participating multinational warships, the Philippines’ multi-capable frigate, BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) garnered the 3rd place during the Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS) Rodeo of the “At-Sea Phase of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC)” exercise on 4-August-2022. NSFS Rodeo is a naval gunfire accuracy competition where participants are given a two-dimensional virtual land…
BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PS15) conducted shipboard familiarization and tour to 86 Advance Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) students who hailed from various parts of the country currently taking-up the Naval Science 43 (NS43) administered by the Naval Reserve Command Training Center (NRCTC) on 8-August-2022. The NS43 students were introduced to various shipboard equipment and spaces as well as…
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) joined the RIVER CLEAN-UP PROJECT in the vicinity waters off Barangays Cembo and West Rembo, Makati City on 31-July-2022. Participating units and organizations extracted approximately 50 sacks or 2.5 metric tons of silt and solid waste emanating from the Pasig River. According to the PCG Station Malacañang, the project aims to alleviate flooding in residential…
Honored trustees, officers, and esteemed members of the Maritime League, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, a pleasant morning to all! I would like to begin by thanking the Maritime League and your President and Chairman, retired Vice Admiral Eduardo R. Santos, for the opportunity to address today’s Maritime Conference. Thank you too to retired Vice Admiral Edmund Tan for coordinating…
The world celebrated Day of the Seafarer on Saturday 25 June, with a collective mix of memories and tales of life at sea. For 2022, the campaign of the Day of the Seafarer, with the theme ‘Your voyage – then and now, share your journey’, looked at seafarer voyages – what they include, how they have evolved over time, and what remains…
“In the past year, the MARINA was outstanding in giving service to the Filipino people. Our team, charting a new course through innovation and transformation, exemplify what MARINA has become over the past year, or even the past two years.” That’s what the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Vice Admiral Robert A Empedrad AFP (Ret) said during the agency’s…
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant, CG Admiral Artemio M Abu participated in the 7th Contact Group on Sulu and Celebes Seas (CGSCS) in Makati City on 28-June-2022. The Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) initiates CGSCS every two years. It brought together PCG Commandant, CG Admiral Abu; Indonesian Maritime Agency…
Admittance alone into the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland is already an achievement in and of itself. The USNA admission is the most selective with an acceptance rate of 9%. Half of the midshipmen have an SAT score somewhere between 1230-1450. A quarter of midshipmen admitted score even higher. To enter, first, you would need to be a…
U.S. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced on 19-May-2022 that a future destroyer will be named the USS Telesforo Trinidad in honor of a Filipino sailor who rescued a crew members when their ship caught fire more than a century ago. Despite his face being burned by an explosion, he still went back inside the ship to save…
Manila, April 8, 2022—Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the U.S. military gathered today to celebrate the successful completion of Balikatan 22, the 37th iteration of the annual bilateral exercise. Over the last two weeks, nearly 9,000 exercise participants from the AFP and U.S. military trained shoulder-to-shoulder from the northern coast of Luzon to Palawan, focusing…
CEBU-CORDOVA LINK EXPRESSWAY The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) Corporation has announced that it will be open in April-2022. CCLEX is the first toll expressway in the Visayan region of the country and comes with a massive investment of at least Php30 billion pesos. CCLEX will be the third connection between Mactan Island and mainland Cebu. The 8.9-kilometer toll expressway connects…
TERNATE, Cavite – A newly constructed maintenance bay and boat ramp for the Marine Corps Assault Boat Battalion (MCABBN) was turned-over on 10-February-2022 in a ceremony attended by BGen. Raul Jesus L. Caldez PN(M), Deputy Commandant, Philippine Marine Corps. The construction of the maintenance bays and beaching ramps was supported by the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG)-Philippines. It was…
On 28-March-2022, Malaysian Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, and yours truly, representing the Philippines, held our Ministerial Meeting on Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA). To further strengthen the security of Sulu and Sulawesi Seas, we agreed to develop the TCA beyond the current security landscape through multiagency combination, accelerate the placement of Trilateral Maritime Patrol Relations Officers in…
It was not so long ago when a fine young man had joined the Maritime League, and that man eventually became one of the League’s Trustees. He is LTJG Christian R Chua PN (Res), a junior officer by rank, but to his colleagues, he is a true soldier, gentleman, leader and a fine officer who can be trusted. We would…
Maritime League Vice President VAdm Emilio C Marayag Jr. was elected President and Board Chairman of the Association of General and Flag Officers, Inc. (AGFO) for the year 2022. He was the former Vice President, Corporate Secretary and Chairman of the Membership and Ethics Committee. He joined the 15-man Board in 2019 and was recently re-elected as a Director for…
In February 2015, the Secretary-General established the IMO Goodwill Maritime Ambassador (IMO-GMA) Scheme. It aims to reach new target audiences and inspire a new generation of maritime experts and seafarers. The multi-faceted maritime world offers a series of rich and fulfilling career opportunities for young people, both at sea and ashore. Seafaring can provide young generations not only with an…
01-March-2022, Bagamanoc, Catanduanes – CAPTAIN SALVADOR G LAVAPIE JR PN(GSC), Chairman, Technical Working Group (TWG) Forward Operating Base (FOB) Catanduanes and Commander, Naval Task Force – 31 (NTF-31), paid a courtesy call to Catanduanes Governor, Hon. Joseph Chua Cua on 01 March 2022. The courtesy call is in connection with the proposed construction of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) for…
On 16-December-2021, Typhoon Odette left the province of Bohol in a devastated environment: with uprooted trees, flooding, roofs ripped from schools and buildings, and collapsed numerous homes! RADM MARGARITO V SANCHEZ JR AFP(RET), Chairperson of SEABEES and ENGINEER RETIREES GENEREAL SERVICES COOPERATIVE (SERGS Coop) organized a relief drive to benefit victims of this typhoon as what they had carried out…
Born in Quezon City, Commandant Vice Admiral Leopoldo V. Laroya PCG began his military career in 1983 when he entered the Philippine Military Academy. Through hard work and discipline, he earned his degree in Bachelor of Science and graduated in the upper percentile of “Maringal” class (number 12 out of 135) in 1988. His competencies enabled him to expand his…
The Philippine Navy’s Naval Forces Central (NAVFORCEN) and the Philippine Naval Reserve Centers of Eastern Visayas (NRCEV), as well as Western Visayas (NRCWV), conducted the unilateral exercise with reservists on August 16-20, 2021. The activity is dubbed Exercise Pagsasama 2021, carrying the theme “Strengthening Integration, Cooperation and Interoperability of the Philippine Navy Reserve Force to the Regular Force.” The exercise…
Philippine Secretary of Defense Delfin N. Lorenzana visited the United States of America to meet with US senior officials, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Philippines-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). Following their bilateral meeting in Manila last 30-July-2021, Secretary Lorenzana met with his counterpart, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on 10-September-2021 in Washington DC where…
BARRETTO, Olongapo City – Twenty fisherfolk families and one fisherfolk organization received their Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) boats in an awarding program led by Regional Director Wilfredo Cruz on February 24, 2021. The FRP boats, worth P45,000 each, came with a 10 HP diesel engine and a complete set of underwater fittings and accessories. RD Cruz in his speech said,…