Stories

PRS Rebrands, Expands, and Offers More Value

Philippine Register of Shipping, Inc. (PRS) is the first and leading Filipino Classification Society established since 1989. PRS is driven by the most competent technical professionals from the Philippine maritime industry and is backed by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Inc. (SONAME). Rebrands. PRS responds to the changing maritime landscape and rebranded its corporate image last May…


Assessment of Operability of Ship Systems and Combat Engagement Capabilities of A Frigate

INTRODUCTION The primary mission of a frigate is to defend and strike. The threat assessment is a very crucial factor in the design, combat system outfit and capabilities of a Frigate. An in-depth study and analysis defines the parameters of the ship’s naval architectural design with a variety of sensors, early warning, defensive and offensive capabilities that can match the…


Damen FCS 3307 Patrol Vessel ordered by Nigeria’s Homeland

Just over a year after it took delivery of the second of two-fast crew supplier (FCS) 3307 Patrol Vessels, the Homeland Integrated Offshore Services Limited (Homeland) of Nigeria has ordered one more of the same class with an option on a second, to be named Guardian 3 and Guardian 4.  Like their two predecessors, the two vessels are being supplied…


Friend of the Sea Certifies Indonesian PT Karyacipta Buanasentosa Tuna

PT Karyacipta Buanasentosa (PT KCBS), an Indonesian tuna catch and processing company, wholly owned by Yamako Pacific Pte Ltd, has recently obtained the Friend of the Sea certification for Skipjack and Yellowfin Tuna. The company complies with all Friend of the Sea requirements and can now display the official seal of approval on its products. All tuna species are fished…


Irrawaddy Dolphins in the Philippines

The Irrawaddy Dolphin belongs to the scientific family Delphinidae (marine dolphin), and Orcaella brevirostris species. Sir Richard Owen first identified the Irrawaddy Dolphin in 1866. It lives in shallow tropical and sub-tropical waters near coasts, and at the mouth of rivers or estuaries, land semi-enclosed lakes, bays, sounds and mangroves in Southeast Asian countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos,…


Naval Bases for New Sea Frontier

Five years ago, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf adopted in its entirety the Philippine submission to extend the country’s seabed boundary in the Philippine Sea with the discovery of the Benham Rise Region. The UN concurrence added 135,506 square kilometers, about 45% of the nation’s land area, to Philippine seabed area and the waters…


Time to Reactivate Naval Station Bicobian

An Order was issued proclaiming a Naval Reservation at Bicobian, Isabela by former President Ferdinand Marcos after the Karagatan incident wherein the CPA/NPA/NDF landed some 500 M14 rifles (made in China) on a fishing boat that ran aground at Digoyo Point, Isabela due to rough seas in mid-1972. I later got ordered to move the RPS Iloilo (PS32) from Northern…


On the Philippines’ Chairing ASEAN in 2017

The Philippine Ambassadors Foundation Inc. (PAFI) urges the Philippines to seize the opportunity presented by its chairing of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2017 when ASEAN celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding to assert and project a leadership role in the construction of regional ocean governance and maritime security as a Philippine contribution to the ASEAN Community…


Keep Fort San Antonio Abad Afloat

IS THIS HOW IT ALL STARTED? IS THIS HOW IT WILL END? The latest Base Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) website advertises the sale of Fort Abad: A BIT OF HISTORY.  More than five centuries ago, in 1584, the Spanish Armada established  “Fuerte de San Antonio Abad” in Manila way ahead of Fort San Felipe (1609) in Cavite, to protect the…


Indonesian Submarine Program: Acquisitions and Upgrades

The Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL) is currently anticipating the delivery of three new Type 209/1400-class submarines from the South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME). The service has also indicated aspirations to operate a fleet of either 10 or 12 underwater fighting platforms beyond 2024. What are the Indonesian government’s requirements for these…


P. Du30’s Top Priority – Poverty, Terrorism Or Drugs?

PART I As clearly proven during the closing days of 2016 and early 2017, terrorism and violence around the world dominated the headlines. Not just the beleaguered Middle East, but also Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, France, Belgium, Turkey, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia, the Philippines and even the U.S. were not spared wanton killings because of man’s inhumanity to fellowman. According…


Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific, Kamaya Point, Mariveles, Bataan

MAAP Receives ISO 9001:2015 Recertification

Following its 2017 periodic audit, the Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) has recently received its ISO 9001:2015 recertification issued by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and Germanischer Lloyd (GL) or DNV-GL. This second audit focused on effective risk management on quality processes. MAAP President Vice Admiral Eduardo Ma. R. Santos AFP (Ret) said, “This achievement is the result…


APFC Receives Maritime Recognition Award

Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corp. (APFC) or FastCat received a Maritime Recognition Award from the Maritime Forum in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of The Maritime League, the forum’s founding convener. FastCat Chairman, Christopher Pastrana was present to receive the award for the “Excellence in the Development, Management and Operation of a Modern Interisland Ferry System” category. The company owns and operates the country’s first and…


Southeast Asia Transshipment Hubs to Compete Fiercely in 2017

Southeast Asia’s port scene is incredibly dynamic, and 2017 will be a year of significant changes with big implications for shippers as structural adjustments in the liner shipping sector and the region’s economic make-up continue. The changing market could result in lower terminal handling charges for shippers as container terminals in the region fight to undercut each other on pricing…


OPC, CHEC Ink Deal for Puerto Cortes Expansion

Operadura Portuaria Centroamericana SA de CV (OPC) has signed a contract with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the first phase of the expansion of the Specialized Container and Cargo Terminal in Puerto Cortes, Honduras. The first phase covers the construction of a 350-meter long berth with a controlling depth of 15.5 meters, two trestles that will be connected to…


Circular of Requirements and Technical Evaluation Parameters for Acquisition of Frigates

INTRODUCTION. The Philippine National Defense has signed a contract with Hyundai of South Korea for the construction of two units of Incheon Class Frigate last 24-October-2016 at the cost of USD 337M to modernize the capability of surface combatants of the Philippine Navy. WHY A FRIGATE? A frigate represents lower investment in terms of cost and displacement compared with a…


Ingalls Shipbuilding Begins Building New Destroyer

Jan. 27 (UPI) — Ingalls Shipbuilding has officially begun fabrication on a new Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123), for the US Navy. The official start of fabrication means the first 100 tons of steel have been cut for the vessel. “Starting fabrication on another destroyer is a great way to start the year,” Ingalls Shipbuilding…


Sea Quest Oversees Construction of State-of-the-Art Tanker for Major UK Defense Project

Korean shipyard specialist SeaQuest Marine Project Management has successfully completed a major project overseeing the construction of one of the UK Ministry of Defense’s latest Naval Auxiliaries that will provide support to the new UK aircraft carriers and other British & NATO naval vessels. On 12-January-2017, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) and the UK Ministry of Defense (UK MOD)…


Keystone Leverages Software for 1st US Commercial Windfarm

As part of the USD 290 million Block Island Wind Farm project to supply less expensive power to Rhode Island and New England, Keystone Engineering (Keystone) was retained to design the substructures for five, 6-megawatt wind turbine generators. To accommodate the complex aerodynamic and hydrodynamic loading of the deep water wind turbines and streamline communication with the generator designer, Keystone…


Friend of the Sea Confirms Freitasmar Tuna

Portuguese seafood canner, Freitasmar, has received Friend of the Sea (FOS) certification for Skipjack and Yellowfin Tuna on January 1, 2017.  Freitasmar, which specializes in the production of canned seafood, can now display the official seal on its products. FOS-certified supplier, Frabelle, a fishing company from the Philippines, fishes all tuna species for Freitasmar. Frabelle uses the Purse Seine fishing…


The Philippine Crocodiles

There are two crocodile species found in the Philippines – the Crocodylus porosus and the Crocodylus mindorensis.  The latter is the specie endemic to and found only in the Philippines. Crocodiles are called “Buwaya” in the Philippines. However, it is used interchangeably to mean either crocodile or alligator. The word “Buwaya” originates from the Proto-Austranesian word “Buqaya.” A. CROCODYLUS POROSUS is…


Oceana Report Exposes Thousands of Suspected Vessel Rendezvous at Sea

Oceana uses Global Fishing Watch data to highlight transshipping hotspots, countries and ports of interest. Oceana today released a report exposing the global scale of transshipping at sea, a practice that can mask illegal fishing practices and conceal human rights abuses. The report, which was released at The Economist’s World Ocean Summit in Bali, Indonesia, uses a new dataset released…


In Pursuit of an Independent Foreign Policy?

In October 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte announced his plans to establish closer ties with Russia and China. Weeks later, he sent Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to Moscow for exploratory talks on defense matters.  Accordingly, the Russians offered defense equipment including a submarine and drones.  In early January 2017, two Russian Federation Navy (RFN) ships of Russia Federation’s Pacific Fleet made…


Innovation in Offshore Engineering

Incat Crowther collaborated with Bhagwan Marine and Neptune Marine Services on this AUD 30 million project in Dampier, Australia, to develop a first-of-a-kind, integrated catamaran. The goal was to design one vessel capable of performing six functions: dive support, geophysical survey, geotechnical survey, cargo transport, hyperbaric rescue, and safety standby. Challenges included SOLAS 2009 (Safety of Life at Sea) compliance,…


The Pentagon’s ‘Encyclopedia of Ethical Failure’

A colleague recently sent me an article written by Matthew Gault about a “hilarious — and infuriating — database of the government’s ethical shortcomings”.  An earlier version of this story was published in November 2014 by the magazine War Is Boring. Just like in the infamous “Laglag Bala” scandal involving personnel of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and the Department…