Early this year, a joint team of the Bureau of Customs (BUCUS) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) apprehended a Chinese dredger “MV Zhonhai 68” for illegal and unauthorized presence in Philippine waters. Carrying a Sierra Leone flag and operated by Malaysian-registered HK Weifeng Hangyu Co. Ltd., the vessel was cleared by Cagayan Province authorities to leave the country more…
The year 2020 was supposed to be a prosperous year for the entire world according to fortune-tellers. Everybody was upbeat. The business community, government economic leaders, and GOCCs like the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) were anticipating unprecedented opportunities ushered in by the new year and a new decade. And then, disaster struck. In the first quarter of the year alone,…
The Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has stricken a lot of countries globally including the Philippines, affecting people’s welfare, socio-economic condition of the country, and government resilience and thinking on ways to respond to the interconnecting issues brought by this pandemic. This pandemic has led the world to enter into a ‘new normal’ set up under adherence of strict health awareness and…
Finally, after more than 4 decades, the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has a home to call its own. The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has inaugurated its newly constructed central office building on Bonifacio Drive corner 20th Street at Port Area, Manila. The 12,000-square meter 12-storey building was constructed with a cost of PHP382 million through the assistance of the Department…
Very early on Wednesday, 18 July, while enroute from Dasmariñas City to my office in Makati, I was mentally debating what specific topic I would address for this issue of the Review. Three major issues our Advocates for National Interests (ANI) group would like to delve on initially are: (1) the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), (2) the West Philippine Sea…
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…