In a momentous event, Naval Special Operations Command inaugurated its state-of-the-art Recompression Chamber and Mess Hall. The event also featured the Convening Ceremony of Basic Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Class 21 (BNEOD CL-21) at NAVSOCOM headquarters, NBHA, Sangley Point, Cavite City on Monday, February 12. Warmly received by Commander NAVSOCOM, COMMO DWIGHT STEVEN M DULNOAN PN, distinguished guests, including VADM…
INTRODUCTION. A country with a 36,289-kilometer coastline and the world’s second largest archipelago, the Philippines’ lifeline is the sea, thus utilizing it to our advantage is a primary mission as part of today’s area denial counter to an invader. The country having a number of straits, inlets, bays and passageways can use these features in delaying the enemy’s advance. The…
In April this year, the President ordered a review of numerous government positions for rightsizing to “upgrade and reskill the workforce in order to improve state services and programs.” The call emanated from the President’s 2022 State of the Nation Address. Consequently several legislators proposed a National Rightsizing Act that is well-aligned with the Revised Administrative Code. The review and…
The 2023 budget deliberations and recent legislative hearings once more brought to the fore their observation about our present inability to confront intrusions into the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Rise. One senator urged “the government to expedite the buildup of defense forces in the WPS.” Another congressman was advocating to stress lethality in the development of this force….
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Many, up to now, refer to AFP Reservists as “Reservist lang” by which they mean we are not part, or of a lower class compared with the regular force counterpart. They seem to think that we do not share the same “courage” and “heroism” as with a regular soldier, when the time comes for an actual battle to call on…
To discuss areas of collaboration, Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Atty. Hernani N. Fabia met with the Maritime League on Friday, 19-August-2022. The Maritime League, led by its President and Chairman, Vice Admiral Eduardo Ma R Santos AFP (Ret), together with their other officials, paid a courtesy call to the Administrator and extended their congratulations to him for his appointment…
On 23-June-2022, the Maritime League held its first face-to-face conference after the Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, at the SMX Mall of Asia during the PHILMARINE 2022 Convention. The new members of the Maritime League were inducted by its Chairman and President Admiral Eduardo Ma R Santos AFP (Ret). In attendance were COL Ricardo D Petrola PN(M), John Ivar…
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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…
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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…
01-March-2022, Bagamanoc, Catanduanes – CAPTAIN SALVADOR G LAVAPIE JR PN(GSC), Chairman, Technical Working Group (TWG) Forward Operating Base (FOB) Catanduanes and Commander, Naval Task Force – 31 (NTF-31), paid a courtesy call to Catanduanes Governor, Hon. Joseph Chua Cua on 01 March 2022. The courtesy call is in connection with the proposed construction of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) for…
05-March-2022. Joint law enforcement operatives have destroyed 1,837,200 fully-grown Marijuana plants, 30,000 grams of dried fruiting tops, 6,000 grams of Marijuana seeds, 70,000 grams of powdered Marijuana, and 492,666 grams of dried Marijuana leaves and stalks with a total estimated market value of PHP 375 Million during their 10-Day Air and Land Interoperability Operations Against Illegal Drugs in the province…
Introduction. The lack of maritime domain awareness and lack of expertise among countries in managing their maritime domain has allowed proliferation of lawlessness and crime on the seas. Organized crime and terrorism have become interconnected and more complex. A Philippine flag flutters from BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated Philippine Navy ship that has run aground since 1999 and became a…
The promise of President Rodrigo Duterte to normalize the lives of Cagayan residents and those in nearby provinces after the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses was further realized as government agencies pooled resources to restore the Cagayan River. Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade joined Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu, Department of Public Works and…
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The global commons refer to the four domains where mother earth’s shared natural resources, outside of national jurisdiction, are found: maritime, air, space and cyberspace. Among these, the oldest is the maritime domain, followed by air in early 20th century with the discovery of human flight; followed by airspace with the launching of satellites into outer space in the 1950s;…
VADM GIOVANNI CARLO J BACORDO AFP is the 38th Field Officer In Command (FOIC), Philippine Navy (PN), sworn in on 03-February-2020 by President Rodrigo R Duterte. The CON has operational control and is responsible for overall operations of the Navy, including the Marine Corps, and the Philippine Coast Guard (in wartime), and directly reports to the Chief of Staff of…
Philippine President Duterte has recently forwarded notice to the United States (U.S.) his decision to terminate the current Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that has been in effect since 1999. This long-standing agreement is scheduled to renew or expire in August 2020. The concerns expressed by many -for or against this action- address many opinions of which I will try to…
A Philippine Navy officer made history as the first woman to become a Commodore (equivalent to Brigadier General or one-star rank in the Army, Air Force, and Marines). Promoted to the rank was Captain Luzviminda Camacho, Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Office of Legislative Affairs. Aside from being the first woman to get the rank, Camacho…
I am often lost for words to truly describe my experience spending precious time with my classmates in Naval Command and Staff Course Class 86. All my life I wanted to be a soldier, but the Almighty God did not give me an answer to such calling, and the reason why is very much obvious to me. Simply…
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Reviewing some of my past email, I came across a June 23, 2011 query from a Philippine Marine reserve officer, Frank Suha, who has been living in the United States for many years: There is recent news that PCG is planning to buy brand-new high endurance cutters/vessels – this will be a big help in the West Philippine Sea issue….