Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant, said Friday the joint exercise of coast guards of the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia will test and evaluate the level of interoperability in a major trans-boundary oil spill.

The PCG and marine environment experts from the Japan Coast Guard and the Directorate General of the Sea Communications of Indonesia are gearing up for the marine oil spill prevention and containment exercise in Balikpapan, Indonesia to be held from July 14 to 16, 2009.

Tamayo said the exercise, called Marpolex Balikpapan 2009, also aims to update current procedures of the oil spill recovery and response capability of the participating countries

"This is to enhance cooperation and capability of the three countries to respond to oil spill incidents particularly along common navigable waters where tankers carrying heavy volume oil pass through," the PCG commandant said.

The three countries will be sending contingents, including vessels, aircraft and marine environmental protection personnel to participate in the week-long exercise.

Tamayo said the PCG organized a Task Group composed of two vessels, the BRP Pampanga (SARV-003) under the Commander Rolando Lizor Punzalan Jr. and the M/T Habagat (TB 271) under Captain Romeo R. Rivero.

The PCG contingent will be composed of some 100 Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel.

"The event will also aim to provide a firm basis for the effective working relationship among the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Directorate General of the Sea Communications of Indonesia (DGSI), and the Japan Coast Guard (JCG)," he said.