The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) today reported that its repatriation efforts in 2020 brought home a total of 327,511 overseas Filipinos. DFA said land-based repatriates make up 231,537 or 70.7% of the total numbers, coming from at least 90 countries around the world. The remaining 29.3% or 95,974 are seafarers from more than 150 cruise ships, oil tankers, and…
Prevailing Conditions The need to strengthen urban areas has been considered among the most vital considerations in securing the country from terrorism, crime and violence. This is to underscore the fact that urban areas are the centers of the political and economic activities wherein the legitimacy of the country’ s existence and the ability to perform the mandate of governance…
As part of the Farmers’ and Fisherfolk’s Month celebration, Agriculture Secretary William Dar unveiled the project Urban Aquaponics during the launching of the Plant, Plant, Plant Program in Quezon City. Aquaponics, an innovative technology that combines concepts of aquaculture and hydroponics to allow fishes and vegetables to grow together in an integrated system, is one of the government’s newest project…
Early this year on February 11, the President announced the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) in response to the suspension by the U.S. of visas of certain Philippine officials in the Department of Justice and an incumbent senator. The suspension would have taken effect 180 days later. On June 11, in a reversal of position, the government, citing…
The global commons refer to the four domains where mother earth’s shared natural resources, outside of national jurisdiction, are found: maritime, air, space and cyberspace. Among these, the oldest is the maritime domain, followed by air in early 20th century with the discovery of human flight; followed by airspace with the launching of satellites into outer space in the 1950s;…
Notably preceded and followed by major military movements, I wonder what would be the impact on RP’s claim on certan islands and sea areas in the SCS. Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914), graduate of the US Naval Naval Academy, wrote of the interdependence of military might and seaborne commerce, “whoever controls the sea lanes controls the islands; who controls islands controls…
I arrived in the Philippines for the first time in early 1972, landing at Clark Air Base before experiencing the breathtaking bus ride to the U.S. Naval Base Subic just outside Olongapo City. I was to meet the USS Kitty Hawk CVA-63 on its next port of call, the first of many deployments during the Viet Nam campaign. During my…
More than a score ago, when he took the helm of the Philippine Navy as its 23rd Flag Officer in Command (FOIC), VADM Eduardo Mario Ramirez Santos had set his eyes on the future. The 21st Century was then beginning, the dawn of a new era and a myriad of challenges to the Philippine Navy. From the disputed Islands in…
In his last article in the Maritime Review magazine (March-April 2020 issue) Commodore Carlos L Agustin AFP (Ret), Founding President of The Maritime League, related some interesting points that led to the administrative control of two large U.S. bases in the Philippines in the late 1970s. The designation of Filipino base commanders, with U.S. facilities inside, allowed the Philippine flag…
VADM GIOVANNI CARLO J BACORDO AFP is the 38th Field Officer In Command (FOIC), Philippine Navy (PN), sworn in on 03-February-2020 by President Rodrigo R Duterte. The CON has operational control and is responsible for overall operations of the Navy, including the Marine Corps, and the Philippine Coast Guard (in wartime), and directly reports to the Chief of Staff of…
The lockdown of the whole of Luzon, which includes Metro Manila, was announced on 16-March-2020. It was to control the movement of over 60 million people in the North of the Philippines to stop or hinder the spread of the deadly CoVID-19 pandemic. In all of January and February, the Philippine had a total of 3 infections and 1 death,…
The recently installed Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, VICE ADMIRAL GEORGE URSABIA PCG is leading the charge towards the future direction of the organization. He is revitalizing the formulation of strategic plans that ensures PCG operations, organizational and capability development are in support of the ends of higher-level national policies, fulfill its five (5) primary mandates, and provide an…
I was watching CNN Philippines recently when a short mention of Philippine Innovation was highlighted. It showed a small business owner had developed a process to collect, restore, and possible reselling antique bicycles. It highlighted the fact that there are thousands of abandoned bicycles that could supply his shop. The owner also had a couple of younger employees on apprenticeship…
Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, has concluded an agreement with the Republic of the Philippines to construct 2 multi-role response vessels (MRRVs). These vessels will be built at Shimonoseki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and are scheduled for delivery to the Philippine Coast Guard in 2022. With a length of about 94 meters, the MRRVs…
The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has stricken a lot of countries globally including the Philippines, affecting people’s welfare, socio-economic condition of the country, and government resilience and thinking on ways to respond to the interconnecting issues brought by this pandemic. This pandemic has led the world to enter into a ‘new normal’ set up under adherence of strict health awareness and…
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AREAS (FMA) The Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 263 or the Establishment of Fisheries Management Areas (FMA) for the Conservation and Management of Fisheries in Philippine Waters took effect on 9-February-2019. The objective of the policy is to establish FMA and provide a science-based, participatory and transparent governance framework and mechanism to sustainably manage fisheries. Under FAO 263,…
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) opened the South Harbor Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) medical treatment facility on April 21, earlier than expected. PPA fast-tracked the completion of the facility in its bid to boost the medical treatment capacity of the National Capital Region as well as its nearby cities and provinces, which has been lacking due to the increasing number…
A native of Manila, Commodore Carlos Leong Agustin AFP (Ret) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, USA in 1960. He took Weapons Systems Engineering at the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA; Naval Staff Course at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, UK; NR course in National Security Management at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces,…
I cannot forget that final day in 1977 when we in the DND Strategic Studies Group (SSG) headed by then Col Salvador Regalado PAF that was specially created by DND Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, presented our final proposed draft of the revised PH-US Military Bases Agreement (MBA) when, after the ensuing discussions, we were surprised by the position paper prepared…
Philippine President Duterte has recently forwarded notice to the United States (U.S.) his decision to terminate the current Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that has been in effect since 1999. This long-standing agreement is scheduled to renew or expire in August 2020. The concerns expressed by many -for or against this action- address many opinions of which I will try to…
A Philippine Navy officer made history as the first woman to become a Commodore (equivalent to Brigadier General or one-star rank in the Army, Air Force, and Marines). Promoted to the rank was Captain Luzviminda Camacho, Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Office of Legislative Affairs. Aside from being the first woman to get the rank, Camacho…
All views expressed herein are the contributor’s and do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever with which he has been, is now, or will be affiliated. Through Administrative Order (AO) No. 29 series of 2012 the Philippine State named the sea areas west of the Philippine archipelago as the ‘West Philippine Sea’. It is important to clarify what…
With high spirits, the nation greeted the year 2020 with fresh hope that life would be much better and that the world would be more peaceful than the past year. That hope did not last long as renewed human conflict in the Middle East ensued three days after New Year with the killing of a top Iranian general accused of…
The path to becoming the 37th Flag Officer in Command was one set upon by VADM Robert A Empedrad AFP without full intention. In fact, several times in the course of his long career, his plan had not God’s plan. “It’s not my intention to join the PMA. Gusto ko talaga maging (I really wanted to be) an electronic engineer,”…
The latest warning issued in early November 2019 by thousands of scientists from 153 countries about instituting measures that would effectively address Climate change speaks volumes in terms of human nature’s resistance to change. According to the scientists, Mother Earth “clearly and unequivocally faces a climate emergency.” She has registered faster than expected acceleration of global warming. This alert came…