Two thousand draftees took their oath on Monday, Dec. 9, as they began the rigorous training to become official members of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, commandant of the PCG, spearheaded the oath-taking ceremony of 1,698 male and 302 female draftees at the Coast Guard Fleet Parade Ground in Pier 13, Port Area, Manila.
The addition of 2,000 draftees raised the PCG's current workforce to 34,000 as of December 2024, according to Gavan.
In his speech, the PCG commandant reminded the draftees that their enlistment meant surrendering some of their rights and volunteering to take on higher responsibilities as public servants.
“Hindi sweldo, hindi uniporme, hindi prestige. Ang inyong panunumpa ay nangangahulugang kayo ay handa, na buo ang inyong loob at kaya ninyong i-sakripisyo ang inyong mga personal na interes upang paglingkuran ang Inang Bayan (It’s not about the salary, the uniform, and the prestige. Your oath-taking means that you are prepared, you are ready, and you can sacrifice your personal interests to serve the Motherland),” he said.
The youngbloods will be deployed to different coast guard districts and units nationwide to augment the current workforce of the PCG while waiting for the schedule of their training.
The six-month training will test the limits of the draftees as they are set to undergo intense physical exercises such as military drills, lectures, and PCG traditions and mandates. These will be conducted in different PCG training centers nationwide including in Taguig, La Union, and Zamboanga among others.
The large-scale recruitment of the PCG is part of its comprehensive modernization program as it is poised to acquire more modern vessels, air assets, and other equipment.