The Talangka in the Philippines is from the scientific family Grapsidae and species Varuna litterata. Apart from the Philippines, Varuna litterata is also known to exist in Australia, China, Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Japan, Madagascar, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nansha (Spratly) Islands, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paracel Islands, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. The Varuna Litterata was named in 1798…
Belgian caviar house, Imperial Heritage, recently obtained Friend of the Sea’s certification for aquaculture. Breeding activities of the Danube Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) and the Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) take place in Italy, and have been found compliant with Friend of the Sea sustainable aquaculture criteria, some of which are: (a) No impact of the aquaculture site on critical habitat; (b)…
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Many scientific researches indicate that some celestial objects collided with Mother Earth millions of years ago creating incredibly powerful explosions that led to life extinction of the dinosaurs and other pre-historic creatures. Recently there was news on a certain Planet X Nibiru that some predicted to hit the earth last month. While such risk of collision remains Mother Earth presently…
First of all, let me welcome all the participants composed of representatives from concerned government agencies in the maritime sector for the 127th Maritime Forum. This gathering is being undertaken in coordination with the Maritime League. It is truly an honor to host this event as we continue to work together to ensure that our agencies are being updated on…
How do we deal with negative news on the Maritime Industry? The most negative had been on our past shipping safety record, in particular because of the record-breaking casualty count of the Dona Paz disaster of 1987. Likewise, the sorry state of professional competence in the seafaring industry was hot news after the STCW 95 review highlighted the Philippine’s inability…
“Opportunities, goodwill, reputations, wealth and other assets once lost can be recovered – but time misused or wasted is gone forever…” – Ancient Wisdom These last few days have brought bad news for President Duterte’s Administration – and, therefore, bad news for all of us Filipinos. The negative developments indicate not just fleeting conditions but, indeed, defining trends that must…
Four years since it was discovered in a marshy plain in northern Mindanao, the largest ancient Filipino boat ever discovered lies unexcavated. Despite its immense cultural and historical significance, the “mother boat” balangay has been practically untouched since 2013. Submerged under barely waist-deep brackish water, it remains tantalizingly beyond reach — at least for now. National Museum archeologist Dr. Mary…
Introduction: Archipelagic and Maritime Philippines, an ICZM case study and proposition for ASEAN Vision 2025. The ocean management concerns of the Philippines as an archipelagic State encompass its archipelagic and internal waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf (including a possible Extended Continental Shelf). The same situation exists for the two other archipelagic States in the Central Indo-Pacific…
Compliance with the strict marine regulations and codes can be time consuming and expensive for any operator. In an industry with such alarming historical safety statistics, it’s imperative that we embrace innovation to eradicate onboard risks. Regulations are constantly being amended and introduced to make shipping safer so we are going to look at the Top 3 Innovations Improving Marine…
PRS Technical Services Inc. leads the way in assisting Filipino shipowners and operators in complying with MARINA MC 08-2015 entitled “Rules and Regulations on Subdivision and Damage Stability Requirements for Philippine-Registered Domestic Ships”. This MC outlines the requirements under Resolution MSC.216(82), adopting the regulations on subdivision and damage stability in SOLAS Chapter 11-1 which are based on the probabilistic concept…
Korean Register (KR) – an International Association Classification Society (IACS) member classification society – has launched the industry’s first Survey & Audit Preparation Guide which will allow shipowners to check exactly what items need to be prepared for their next vessel survey audit, before submitting an application. KR has used its extensive data resources and IT technology expertise to develop…
INTRODUCTION Propulsion is a means of creating force leading to the movement of a vehicle in the water, air or in land. The term is derived from Latin word “pro” meaning before or forward, and “pellere” meaning to drive. A propulsion system consists of the source mechanical power, and propulsion to convert the power into propulsive force. The main engine…
Leading global coatings manufacturer Hempel is launching two new premium antifouling coatings, Globic 9500M and Globic 9500S. The coatings offer customers a potential 2.5 per cent reduction in speed loss. This equates to significant fuel savings and lower CO2 emissions improving the operational efficiency of a vessel and minimising the operator’s environmental footprint. This next generation coating series builds on Hempel’s…
The Supreme Court rendered a decision on 18 December 2008 ordering 13 government agencies, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay, and restore and maintain its waters to SB level to make them fit for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation. The case stemmed from a complaint filed…
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was recently mentioned on UNTV News on 05-September-2017 as continuously pushing for the periodic planting of mangroves. DENR is targeting to plant mangroves in more than 50K hectares of swamps, especially in areas frequently hit by typhoons. DENR spends roughly Php50K per hectare as part of the National Greening Program to plant…
Friend of the Sea awarded Generale Conserve, one of Italy’s major canned seafood company, with the Sodalitas Social Award 15th edition in the category Sustainable Innovation and Production Processes with its brand ASdoMAR for Tuna Zero Waste project. Friend of the Sea welcomes this prestigious recognition, as ASdoMAR was the first Italian brand in the industry to require an independent…
This issue’s cover features the PCG’s Parola class patrol boat, Multi-Role Response Vessel BRP Tubbataha (MRRV-4401). Photo courtesy of PCG.
Feature Story: Pcg Foundation Anniversary by VADM Emilio C. Marayag, Jr. AFP (Ret). Also in this issue: Maritime Conference 2017 Synthesis by Vicky Viray-Mendoza; The Haunting Fake News by COMMO Carlos L. Agustin AFP (Ret); Terrorist Safe Havens Are In The Mind, And Cannot Be Beaten Militarily by Anders Corr; Philippine Register of Shipping: Safety Drive; Meet PCG’s New Officer-In-Charge; and many more.
The nation and its maritime community join the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in commemorating its founding anniversary in October. Originally created as a civilian bureau in 1901 by the United States, the organization assumed its military character in 1967 by virtue of Republic Act 5173. It used to be one of the Philippine Navy’s major units until its separation in…
Commodore Joel Sarsiban Garcia PCG, PhD, HD, Al-Haj is a graduate of the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) and took up Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation, major in Navigational Science. He is currently taking up Bachelor of Laws, Facultad De Derecho Civil, Royal & Pontifical at the University of Santo Tomas. He is a Doctor of Philosophy in Public…
The Maritime Conference 2017 was held on 12-July-2017. It was organized by the Maritime League led by its President Commo. Carlos L. Agustin (AFP Ret), and co-sponsored by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources led by its Director Commo. Eduardo Gongona (AFP Ret). The conference took place in partnership with the PhilMarine 2017 organized by Fireworks…
As I was thinking of how to start this topic, I came across an article written by Cheyenne MacDonald for the London Daily Mail (based on a study published in the journal Geology) that was forwarded to me about 6 months ago (I have a file on things of interest) on The Five Great Extinction Events: Five times, a vast…
The 123rd Maritime Forum was held at the NDCP last 30-June-2017, 0800-1200H. The Maritime Forum is one of the activities the Maritime League, “a nonprofit Filipino maritime foundation was established in 1990 to address the need for an organization, which will help spur progress in the maritime sector and advance the interest of the maritime profession and the maritime industry…
The Philippines will be hosting the 31st ASEAN Summit later this year, at mid-century of its founding and into the second year of the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. The 50th year of the ASEAN also marks a milestone with the implementation of the AEC Blueprint 2025, which is the second phase of constructing the AEC….
Counterterrorism operations today often entail attempts to remove territorial “safe havens” for Islamic extremism. This is seen in fights against the Islamic State in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and most recently, the Philippines. These fights are often government-led sieges of cities, like Raqqa, Mosul, and Marawi, where Islamic State has taken control, or at least has a strong presence. But by…