PCG, US launch P140-M training to boost maritime security
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the United States launched on Friday a P140-million program to strengthen the PCG’s fleet operations and boost its capacity for maritime law enforcement in a move that reflects closer security ties in the Indo-Pacific.
PCG commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan and US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson led the launch ceremony aboard the BRP Gabriela Silang at Pier 13, Port Area in Manila.
Carlson said the program is “more than an investment in hardware, as it is an investment in people.”
“USCG (US Coast Guard) personnel will work alongside their Philippine counterparts during maintenance and training cycles, building peer-to-peer trust and shared expertise. Likewise, PCG officers will train at US facilities to deepen leadership and technical skills that will help maintain an increasingly sophisticated fleet. Together, we will continue to ensure that these waters remain safe, open, and secure for all,” the US ambassador said.
The three-year initiative, funded by the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and implemented through the USCG, will provide 113 training courses and on-the-job training opportunities for PCG personnel in the United States. Additionally, 60 formal courses and engagements with subject matter experts will be held in the Philippines.
According to the PCG, the cooperation includes technical training for vessel operations and maintenance, on-the-job training aboard USCG vessels and facilities, and advisory support to strengthen PCG doctrines and procedures for fleet management and training.
Continuing program
The new program builds on earlier US support to the PCG, including technical training, logistics systems planning and equipment donations aimed at improving vessel maintenance and maritime law enforcement.
Gavan thanked Carlson and the US government for supporting the initiative, saying the program’s impact goes beyond improving the agency’s technical capacity.
The partnership comes amid heightened tensions in the West Philippine Sea, where the PCG plays a key role in asserting the country’s maritime rights and ensuring the safety of Filipino fishermen and vessels.
The launch followed another incident near Pag-asa Island, where the PCG and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels were disrupted by the Chinese Coast Guard and militia ships during a supply mission.
At about 8:15 a.m. Sunday, three BFAR vessels, including the 30-meter BRP Datu Pagbuaya, were anchored off the island when Chinese ships reportedly approached and carried out dangerous maneuvers, including the use of water cannons. An hour later, a Chinese Coast Guard vessel with bow number 21559 fired a water cannon directly at the Datu Pagbuaya and “deliberately” rammed its stern, causing minor damage but no injuries, according to the National Maritime Council.
