In the Roman Catholic Church, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, is Stella Maris – The Star of the Sea. Mary is the daughter of St. Anne and St. Joachim. Both her parents descended from the Royal House of David from the land of Judah. Her father was a shepherd. Her name is Miryam in…
The British-led Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project (Black Sea MAP) claims to have found the world’s oldest intact wreck, an ancient Greek sailing vessel that was radiocarbon dated back to 400 BC, making the shipwreck over 2,400 years old. The wooden hull is quite well preserved because it had been lying below the surface of the Black Sea about 2…
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have jointly released new Guidelines for implementing the Welfare Aspects of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). Adopted by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2006, the MLC aims to ensure comprehensive worldwide protection and enforcement of the rights of seafarers and to establish a level playing field…
Between 2014 and 2016, Greenpeace had been tracking Thailand’s rogue fishing vessels, and found that as many as 76 vessels with Thai flags had moved their operations to the Saya de Malha Bank area off the coast of east Africa to avoid being policed on illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and slave seafaring. Despite all international pressure on Thailand,…
At the last SAFETY4SEA Conference, Capt. Hans Hederström, Managing Director, Center for Simulator Maritime Training (CSMART), discussed steps to create a safety environment in shipping. Among the most important things, he stressed, “The Captain has the role of a leader instead of an operator, willing to delegate and coach officers. Combining voyage planning and Bridge Resource Management, and effective communication…
INTRODUCTION This Article is a product of the research work conducted by the author to highlight the list and circumstances behind various events of submarine losses that happened during peacetime from CY2000 to CY2017. During this period, it is noted that submarine disasters and accidents occurred to navies of countries that are considered to have seapower and long experience over…
On 30-October-2018, the ReCAAP ISC piracy reporting center warned that a faction of the ASG is preparing to launch another round of pirate attacks in the waters off Sabah. According to ReCAAP, the PCG believes that 10 ASG members are planning to conduct kidnappings in East Sabah “at any opportune time.” The ASG fighters do not have specific targets but…
Last May, Secretary of Defense James Mattis retitled Pacific Command (PACOM), the largest of the six U.S. unified combatant command to United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM). The area of responsibility remains unchanged for the former PACOM. The decision to retitle is in alignment with the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Moreover, the retitling is fitting in the…
On 28-October-2018, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) together with the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will re-open the Davao-General Santos-Iloilo Passenger Shipping Route. The re-establishment of ferry operations from Manila to Davao and vice versa is expected to address the lack of an accessible route that has been unavailable for a long time. It also…
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is venturing into the maritime sector, and will soon launch a ferry service between Kalibo and Boracay. Tourists coming from Kalibo, Aklan will soon have a more plush and comfortable option of travel to the world-famous Boracay Island. The concept of the ferry service was disclosed to the media on October 23, just a few days before…
INTRODUCTION A submarine is a hunter killer for as long as she can maintain her stealth. However, when HER PRESENCE in the immediate vicinity of the sea area is detected, then she looses her invincibility and the effective use of her weapons is denied. The submarine becomes the hunted. The exact coordinates or location of the submarine in terms of…
The Port of Cagayan de Oro is situated in Cagayan de Oro City, the capital of Misamis Oriental and the regional center of Northern Mindanao. It is located in the Northern Coast of Mindanao within Macajalar Bay, near the mouth of the Cagayan de Oro River. It faces northwest and is protected to the east by a stretch of coast…
The Philippines is endowed with thousands of beautiful beaches. Except for the Cordilleras, there are beach destinations in all regions. Coastal attractions can be found from the northernmost islands of Batanes to the southernmost parts of Tawi-Tawi. The Philippines is one of the favorites of foreign tourists, and beaches still remain as their top destination. Statistics show that the lion’s…
In the Netherlands, the GoodShipping Program bunkered the first batch of biofuels into a container vessel that otherwise would have entirely run on fossil fuels. The first 5 pioneering cargo shippers to join the program are Tony’s Chocolonely, Dopper, Blygold, Magic Marine, and Mystic. Altogether, they avoided over40 tons of CO2 emissions and significantly reduced local emissions like sulphur, soot…
Oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface area, forming the largest habitat on the planet. Coastal and shallow-water areas contain some of the world’s most diverse and productive ecosystems, including seagrass beds, mangroves, and coral reefs. The 7000 islands of the Philippines are home to an enormous number of coral reef systems that not only contribute to global atmosphere health…
Marikina City, the shoe capital of the Philippines, is located by the banks of the Marikina River and is thus regularly prone to flooding and is also at risk from sea level rise. Marikina River flows into the Pasig River, which ultimately flows out to Manila Bay. During the typhoon season between August and November, floodwaters overflow into the riverbanks…
Ocean noise refers to sounds made by human activities that can interfere or obscure the ability of marine animals to hear natural sounds in the ocean. Many marine organisms rely on their ability to hear for their survival. Sound is the most efficient means of communication underwater and is the primary way that many marine species gather and understand information…
The 2016 ruling of Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) did not dissuade China from conducting activities to demonstrate its military might in South China Sea (SCS), and its obvious disregard for rules-based international order. It dispatched a naval task group in the area in early 2017 consisting of an aircraft carrier and several surface and subsurface combatants for naval drills….
In the Mar-Apr 2016 (MR16-2) issue, I wrote about the sinking of SS Corregidor on 17-December-1941 that resulted in the death of my late father, an Army Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers on that fateful night, as he sailed on the SS Corregidor to rejoin his unit in Davao. He was the Assistant City Engineer and was called to…
The Outstanding Boholanos Around the World (TOBAW) Awards is the most prestigious award given to honor Boholanos who have shown professional excellence in their chosen field of endeavor, and whose community and humanitarian involvement have significantly contributed to the Boholano community, nationwide, or internationally, through philanthropic efforts and/or volunteerism. The 10 TOBAW Awardees were given recognition on 22-July-2018, coincident with…
The Consultative Committee has presented to President Rodrigo R. Duterte the Draft Federal Constitution. Below are some comments that may be made in respect of the provision on National Territory contained in the draft that has been released online. ARTICLE I NATIONAL TERRITORY SECTION 1 The Philippines has sovereignty over its territory, consisting of the islands and waters encompassed by…
The snow has thawed enough for the gold dredging season to kick off, and dredgers in Nome, Alaska, are ready to be on the water in search of hidden treasures on the Bering Sea floor. With boats in the water and deckhands aboard, these gritty and independent men and women are ready to hit the season hard in hopes of…
As far back as 1991, I was vocal about investing in our defense, should the government decide to let go of the U.S. bases on account of a provision in the 1987 constitution mandating “no foreign troops on Philippine soil.” Up to that point, the U.S. was our defense shield, and if we were to give it up then we…
The Philippines, being an archipelago, has no land borders with neighboring countries. Unlike some countries in Northern Africa like Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt, that have problems with porous borders between countries, the Philippines is spared of that kind of border problem. However, while these North African countries share the same stretch of coastline along the Mediterranean Sea, the…
Spain had designed a new submarine. However, the project encountered some physical and engineering problems. In turn, the solutions to these problems created even new problems. At first, it was a design error, which made the submarine unable to float. The solution was to make the submarine longer. As an unfortunate result, the new size of the submarine ended up…