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Marine Environment, Maritime Law, National Affairs 25-Jan-2022

CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE for CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION in the Indo-Pacific/Indochina-Pacific Maritime Region

Phase 1 (4 years) – A Pacific Ocean marine corridor in central Philippines         Background. Phase 1 of the Programme spotlights a Pacific Ocean corridor in central Philippines serves as the initial focus for the wider Indo-Pacific/Indochina-Pacific 3/ maritime region that is critical to global health and security. This large sea area as designated is comprised of interconnected enclosed-semi-enclosed seas…

Chairman's Page, National Affairs 15-Mar-2019

China and the WPS: Points of Contention

In his column, “About Town” in the 12-February-2019 issue of Manila Standard ‘How are we dealing with our next-door neighbor China?” Ernesto M Hilario reported on the impressions of our distinguished Ambassador to China Jose Santiago “Chito” Sta. Romana, “who spent more than four decades in China after he and several members of a delegation of student activists on a…

Chairman's Page 19-Jan-2018

Transforming Coron

Coron is a beautiful protected island on the southeast coast of Busuanga. But when we speak of Coron, we usually refer to the town called Coron across the island, which is located on Busuanga Island itself. That area has become a tourist destination. In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s just before the declaration of Martial Law, I spent much…

Chairman's Page 22-Nov-2017

Don’t Widen the Plate

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…

Words From FVR 30-Jan-2017

Perform, Reform, Transform for the New Year

“I want the declaration of Martial Law to be the sole prerogative of the President…” – Pres. Du30 (The Manila Times, 24 December 2016) The mere mention by Pres. Du30 of the possibility of martial law last Christmas Eve before an audience of Nanay (mother) volunteers in Pampanga sent frightening shivers among hundreds of their “Kabalens” (provincemates) but also, real…