An Indian Coast Guard (ICG) ship docked in Port Area, Manila on Holy Monday, March 25, for a four-day port visit, marking the first stop of its overseas deployment to enhance cooperation and interoperability, and demonstrate India’s capabilities in the field of marine pollution response to Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries.
ICG ship (ICGS) Samudra Paheredar (CG 202) docked at Eva Macapagal, Pier 15 around 9 a.m. and was welcomed by officials of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). There were 25 cadets from India’s National Cadet Corps (NCC) onboard the vessel.
Following the arrival, Deputy Inspector General Sudhir Ravindran, commanding officer of ICGS Samudra Paheredar, paid a courtesy call on Rear Adm. Hostillo Arturo Cornelio, chief of coast guard staff.
The two officials discussed the PCG's mandated functions and the ICG's potential contributions to Coast Guard modernization and industry cooperation.
“During the four-day day port visit, a series of activities will be undertaken such as community support program, walkathon and beach clean-up, facility tour, subject matter expert exchanges, Passing Honors and sporting event to foster camaraderie and people to people engagement between PCG and ICG personnel,” PCG spokesperson Rear Adm. Armando Balilo said.
ICGS Samudra Paheredar is a pollution control vessel of the ICG. The vessel is designed for the purpose of containing, recovering, and dispersing oil spills followed by transporting the recovered oil for further disposal.
The ship is based at Visakhapatnam on the Eastern Seaboard of India, under the Administrative and Operational Control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (East).
ICGS Samudra Paheredar will conclude its Philippine stop on March 28, and will head to other ASEAN countries including Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The PCG has been ramping up its efforts to improve its pollution control capabilities especially after a massive oil spill in Oriental Mindoro last year.
It can be recalled that motor tanker (MT) Princess Empress went half-submerged off Naujan town on February 28, 2023 after encountering rough sea conditions. It eventually sank on March 1, 2023 while carrying 800,000 liters of industrial fuel oil (IFO) or black oil.
The sinking of the tanker caused a massive oil spill which spread to different areas in Oriental Mindoro, Batangas, Palawan, and Antique. More than 200,000 individuals were affected by the spillage while damage to agriculture reached nearly P5 billion.