In the early 2000s, the AFP created an ad hoc committee to conduct a feasibility study on the acquisition of three (3) 90-meter corvettes offered by a Canadian firm. As former skipper of a similar vessel, I was designated as the vice chair. The “project” did not materialize because the proposal lacked certain requirements. Had the government pursued it, the…
Manila, April 8, 2022—Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the U.S. military gathered today to celebrate the successful completion of Balikatan 22, the 37th iteration of the annual bilateral exercise. Over the last two weeks, nearly 9,000 exercise participants from the AFP and U.S. military trained shoulder-to-shoulder from the northern coast of Luzon to Palawan, focusing…
CEBU-CORDOVA LINK EXPRESSWAY The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) Corporation has announced that it will be open in April-2022. CCLEX is the first toll expressway in the Visayan region of the country and comes with a massive investment of at least Php30 billion pesos. CCLEX will be the third connection between Mactan Island and mainland Cebu. The 8.9-kilometer toll expressway connects…
TERNATE, Cavite – A newly constructed maintenance bay and boat ramp for the Marine Corps Assault Boat Battalion (MCABBN) was turned-over on 10-February-2022 in a ceremony attended by BGen. Raul Jesus L. Caldez PN(M), Deputy Commandant, Philippine Marine Corps. The construction of the maintenance bays and beaching ramps was supported by the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG)-Philippines. It was…
INTRODUCTION This article is a research paper titled “How A Navy Should Decide To Acquire to Buy the First Diesel Electric Submarine” with confidence. If and when the government so decides to acquire the first diesel electric submarine with Air Independent Power (AIP), a NAVY should be prepared and capable to support such a decision. Some of the information are…
Filipino Fishing Boat (FFB) Queen Lorena-1 was rescued and assisted by Philippine Navy (PN) and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel deployed in Pag-asa Island on 11-March-2022. According to CAPT Jeorge G Sambilad, boat captain of the said FFB, the engine had minor derangement while making their way towards the sheltered port of Pag-asa Island. However, as they entered the said…
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Capital Region (DENR-NCR) has recognized the Estero de San Miguel in Manila as Metro Manila’s “most improved estero” during the 2nd Gawad Taga-Ilog awarding ceremony on March 22. The Gawad Taga-Ilog recognizes the efforts of local governments in Metro Manila—barangays in particular—in keeping their waterways clean and trash-free, as well as their active…
More than 800 tons of trash coming from the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas and Rizal were kept from finally draining to Manila Bay through the trash traps installed along the waterways and the regular cleanup activities of the river rangers on the first quarter of 2022, per report of the Manila Bay Site Coordinating and Management Office (MBSCMO)-4. About…
FB GemVer, the Filipino fishing boat sunk by Chinese vessel Yuemaobinyu 42212 on 9-June-2019 near Recto Bank within the Philippine EEZ had 22 Filipino fishermen onboard. The Yuemaobinyu 42212 is a Chinese steel-hulled fishing vessel operating from Guangdong, China. It is 44 meters (144 ft) in length with a beam of 8 meters (26 ft). The FB Gem-Ver is a…
The sea referred to as the ‘West Philippine Sea’ comprises different maritime zones, not all of which actually pertain to the Philippines as its territory from the perspective of international law. Given that the Philippines is a member of the international community, it is only advisable that it employ an approach consistent with international law in respect of its territory…
More than five million farmers, fishers, and farm workers have to date registered under the national Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) that serves as a major requirement, prioritizing them to receive various assistance from the Department of Agriculture (DA). “As of March 8, 2022, we have registered 5,463,735 farmers, fishers, and farm workers, exceeding our target amid…
Continuous upgrades are being carried out at Subic Bay International Airport to develop its potentials as a gateway; The airport is eyed as an alternate hub to decongest NAIA; a logistics hub; and for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul operation; Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority is exploring public-private partnership development of Subic Bay International Airport. Upgrades at Subic Bay International Airport…
BFAR Region 7, through Fisheries Production and Support Services Division (FPSSD), has dispersed 50,000 tilapia fingerlings in the open waters of Candijay and Guindalman towns of Bohol Island on 30-March-2022. This activity was spearheaded by the division’s aquaculture section and in coordination with the Bohol Provincial Fishery Office and Local Government Units of the said towns. Over 20,000 pieces of…
On 28-March-2022, Malaysian Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto, and yours truly, representing the Philippines, held our Ministerial Meeting on Trilateral Cooperative Arrangement (TCA). To further strengthen the security of Sulu and Sulawesi Seas, we agreed to develop the TCA beyond the current security landscape through multiagency combination, accelerate the placement of Trilateral Maritime Patrol Relations Officers in…
INTRODUCTION. Vampire! Vampire! Vampire! yelled the Fire Controlman aboard BRP Vicente Catalan (DDG-01) as the blips came into his scope. Countermeasures! as the Ship’s Weapons Officer shouted, decoys launched. Enemy Missiles destroyed. –A fictional futuristic scenario in which Philippine Navy warships may encounter in a modern high intensity conflict from a mobile land-based anti-ship missile systems. On 04-April-2022, the Shore-Based…
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has confirmed the increasing presence of Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc, Zambales. During the intensified maritime operations from 28 February to 05 March 2022, the PCG has monitored approximately 45 Filipino fishing boats conducting fishing activities at the vicinity waters off Bajo De Masinloc. Through the ongoing “Bayanihan sa Karagatan,” personnel of BRP Capones…
FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City – The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) led by Commandant MGen Nestor C Herico PN(M) activated the new Shore-Based Anti-Ship Missile (SBASM) Battalion (Provisional) on 3-April-2022. The SBASM Battalion, the first in the Philippines, will be operating an anti-ship missile system that can quickly detect, track, chase, and destroy maritime targets. “The activation of SBASM will certainly…
To complement police operations, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has added more marine and land mobile assets, as well as communication technology. During simple rituals at the PNP National Headquarters on 9-February-2022, PNP Chief, Police General Dionardo B Carlos, led police officials in blessing new equipment worth Php576,667,540. Ten police high-speed Tactical Watercraft with twin 250 horsepower engines are the…
The author, COL Thomas J Gordon USMC (Ret), said “Though I am presenting these maxims as leadership tactics, techniques, and procedures, I do not pretend that they will make you a good leader –Marines see through insincere ploys and hollow rhetoric.” Just reading a book on golf will not make you a good golfer, and just reading about leadership will…
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In January 2022, one of the few remaining WWII veterans, Major Maximo P Young, passed away due to a heart ailment. He was six months away from his centennial birthday. The Armed Forces of the Philippines rendered full military honors during his internment ceremony. Major Young was an extraordinary veteran having served in 3 international conflicts: WWII, Korean War, and…
In August 2017, Chinese coast guard and navy ships were seen close by Sandy Cay, a sandbar neighboring Philippine-occupied Thitu (Pag-asa) Island in the South China Sea (SCS). Then Senior Associate Justice of the Philippine Supreme Court, Antonio Carpio, warned that Sandy Cay was “being seized (to put it mildly), or being invaded (to put it frankly) by China.” President…
The American Era: Coastal Defense Fortifications Take Shape The importance of Corregidor Island in the military complex dates back as far as the beginning of the Spanish Colonial period during the 1500’s, as Spanish Galleons used to anchor at the Island or on other nearby islands. Apart from being a naval anchorage, it was an outpost to alert Manila and…
It was not so long ago when a fine young man had joined the Maritime League, and that man eventually became one of the League’s Trustees. He is LTJG Christian R Chua PN (Res), a junior officer by rank, but to his colleagues, he is a true soldier, gentleman, leader and a fine officer who can be trusted. We would…
The Marine Exercise 2022 Philippines (MAREX 22 PH) between the Philippine Marine Corps and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) officially concluded with a virtual closing ceremony graced by the Philippine Navy Flag Officer In Command Vice Admiral Adeluis Bordado as the Guest of Honor and Speaker on 2-February-2022. The annual bilateral exercise was conducted from 28-31 January-2022. The exercise…