PART 1 of 2 In the aftermath of the recent award (or ruling) by the U.N. Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea, new opportunities in our foreign relations have opened up which might lead to win-win solutions for the Philippines, China, U.S. and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Before getting into the national events…
The Manila Yacht Club (MYC), established in 1927, is a member’s only Club and is the country’s premier yacht club. Considered as a social and sporting Mecca, much of the Philippines boating activities are based at the MYC. 89 years on, the Club remains today, the country’s premiere yacht club due to its strong traditions and rich historic past. The…
The JURY SYSTEM is a judicial process where a group of ordinary people are called by law to decide serious legal cases brought to court for investigation and trial. It is a means for the ordinary Filipino to file a case against anyone, rich or poor, who have allegedly done a serious crime to his fellow man. Advantages of the…
The Philippine fishing company, Frabelle Fishing Corporation, has recently concluded the Friend of the Sea (FOS) certification renewal audit. Yellowfin, skipjack, bigeye, and bullet tuna products from Frabelle can continue to display the FOS official seal of approval. Fishing Method. The tuna is caught through the purse seine method by the company’s certified vessels in the Western Central part of…
How does the shipping and wider maritime industry need to evolve in order to keep pace with a fast-moving landscape? “It must begin with a change of mindset,” writes Lena Göthberg. The maritime industry is slow to embrace change, and not just in the digital sense. We’re an old industry, with little interest in the new. Our sector is steeped…
As change accelerates, future success in shipping and maritime depends on developing a holistic, digital vision, and some big, hairy, audacious goals. The Shipping 2030 conference series is ours,” says K.D. Adamson. As a Futurist, the question I get asked often is, “what’s going to change?” But the question you should be asking is, “what isn’t going to change?” Many…
The Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation (APFC) is a ferry company based in Muntinlupa, Philippines. It also operates a FastCat line of catamaran ferries, which is the first in the Philippines. APFC’s slogan is FerrySafe, FerryFast, FerryConvenient. APFC’s mission is to connect the Philippine islands and neighbouring countries by providing safe, fast and convenient ferry transport system for passengers and cargo,…
The concept of “chain of command,” along with other leadership and management principles that were not formally published until the 20th century, has been practiced since the ancient times by military and other organizations. For one, Alexander The Great conquered territories far beyond his domain by using an effective command chain to communicate and control his subordinate commanders. For another,…
Recently, in his good luck year (meaning age 88), FVR was unexpectedly designated by President Rodrigo Du30 as “Special Envoy” with the mission to “break the ice” between China and the Philippines – whose traditionally friendly relations had turned chilly, if not cold, with the 12 July 2016 ruling (award) by the U.N. Permanent Court of Arbitration about issues in…
Southeast Asia straddles several of the most important maritime passageways in the world today. These arteries of global trade, transportation, and commerce are vital not only for regional but also global peace, security, and stability. Also, the region’s booming economies make it a bright spot for international investment. The waters in and around Southeast Asia are believed to hold substantial…
The administration of President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte has started with a bang! (No pun intended) Not one, but quite a few. It has impressed many, and may I say, including myself, who did not know him very well, and whose promises did not affect me when we first met during an AGFO fellowship at Camp Aguinaldo last year, before he…
The popular slogan of President Duterte –“Change is Coming” — enthralled the Filipino people, as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rode that wave of change. Indeed, change had come and the PCG welcomed this wave that would break the long standing shortage in PCG maritime assets. The PCG started to change within as modernization of its fleet had began with…
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…
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…
…whether it is a parameter or not but certainly applicable in the design and construction of a warship as it is in many, if not all, that we do – Doing It “Right First Time.”
The idea of giving credit where credit is due on the separation of the Coast Guard from the Navy came about when I got the suggestion last year that we should award VAdm. Mariano J. Dumancas Jr. (FOIC, PN1990-93) with a citation for exactly agreeing to help achieve that result in 1992. I missed to include that idea in our…