The Philippine Navy (PN) has affirmed its commitment to work together with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in guarding the country's maritime territory and defending it from security threats.
Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, PN Flag Officer in Command, said it is important for them to have a good working relationship with the PCG since both service units are operating in a common environment.
"The country needs a strong maritime sector because we are an archipelagic country. This collaboration now with the Coast Guard and the Navy is going into that direction," he said during his courtesy call on PCG Commandant, Admiral George Ursabia Jr. at the PCG headquarters in South Harbor, Manila on Tuesday.
During the meeting, the two officials discussed future collaboration and plans including the conduct of joint maritime law enforcement operations.
Bacordo noted that his engagement with Ursabia, was aimed at strengthening the ties between the PN and PCG as they share the responsibility of enhancing the governance in the country’s maritime domain.
Both Bacordo and Ursabia are members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) "Hinirang" Class of 1987.
This was echoed by Ursabia, who underscored the significance of Bacordo's visit as "an avenue to promote a better working relationship" with the Navy.
The PCG was a major unit of the PN from 1967 until its transfer to the then Department of Transportation and Communications, now Department of Transportation (DOTr), in 1998.
"Even though we are a separate outfit, we still want to converge with our former mother (unit), the Philippine Navy," Ursabia said.
Bacordo's visit came after the courtesy call of PCG Commodore Roy Echeverria, the newly designated director of the National Coast Watch Center (NCWC), at the PN headquarters in Manila last Monday.
In the said meet-up, Bacordo and Echeverria vowed to establish a stronger interagency coordination between the NCWC and its maritime research information centers (MRIC) and maritime situational awareness centers (MSAC), and the PN for an improved maritime security awareness. (Martin A. Sadongdong)
Vice Adm. Bacordo considered this visit as an "opportunity to come up with stronger interagency coordination and collaboration between NCWC and our maritime research information center (MRIC) and maritime situational awareness centers (MSAC) in providing them maritime information to support awareness in our maritime domain.”