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 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…
Deforestation is a serious challenge for the whole world Forests cover about 30% of the planet’s land mass but humans are cutting them down, clearing these essential habitats on a massive scale. Intentional clearing of forests is one thing (not recommended, for sure) but deforestation likewise includes a major problem whose causes are mostly natural and accidental. Wild fires is…
Background The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines storm surge as the abnormal rise in seawater level during a storm, measured as the height of the water above the normal predicted astronomical tide. The surge is caused primarily by storm winds pushing water onshore (NOAA, 2019). The amplitude of a storm surge is attributed to several factors…
As part of the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) capability development program, newly acquired rescue boats, vehicles and other equipment were presented yesterday, 30-May-2019, to beef up the agency’s readiness for the expected threats of typhoons that may hit the country this year. During the blessing and launching ceremony at the PCG Headquarters yesterday, the PCG Commandant Admiral Elson E Hermogino,…
Feature story: Rearing a Maritime Nation by VADM Emilio C. Marayag, Jr. AFP (Ret). Also in this issue: Philippine Maritime Conference 2017 at the PhilMarine 2017 by Vicky Viray-Mendoza; Learning from Korea by COMMO Carlos L. Agustin AFP (Ret); Statement of Justice Carpio on China’s threat to go to war with the Philippines by Justice Antonio T. Carpio, Senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines; and PRS Supports MARINA with latest Technology on Probabilitic Damage Stability Calculations.
On invitation from the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs, former DILG Sec Rafael M Alunan and I took on a very enlightening journey to revisit the Republic of Korea and review anew the various conditions and characteristics that surround the tremendous progress and development of that great country. The visit was arranged by ROK Ambassador to the PH Kim Jae…
Introduction Living in today’s “uncertainties of boom or bust economies, global climate change, rapid urbanization, technological advancement, and continuing war on poverty or terrorism present a lot of risk necessitating people to prevent the occurrence or mitigate its impact.” However, when there is extreme danger ahead, we must prepare to accept reality and respond accordingly. This has been explained as…