The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) teamed up for a maritime law enforcement course to enhance maritime cooperation and address maritime threats in the region.
United States Coast Guard (USCG) Commander Christine Igisomar (leftmost, seated), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) District Southeastern Mindanao Commander Commodore Rejard Marfe (center, seated), and USCG Team Lead Lieutenant Dana Schmitt (rightmost, seated) pose for a group photo with participants during the opening ceremony of the Boarding Officer Course in Davao City. (Photo from US Embassy in Manila)
In a statement sent by the US Embassy in Manila, it said that the multinational Boarding Officer Course under the USCG’s Southeast Asia Training Team (SEATT) was held from Jan. 13 to 24 in Davao City to boost the capabilities of maritime law enforcement agencies in the region.
Commodore Rejard Marfe, Commander of Coast Guard District Southeastern Mindanao, underscored the importance of US’ role in training Coast Guard personnel.
“US expertise, resources, and guidance are invaluable in ensuring that we are better equipped to address maritime threats. Together, we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that our maritime sovereignty remains a zone of peace, safety, and prosperity for all,” he said.
USCG Team Lead Lieutenant Dana Schmitt, on the other hand, expressed confidence in the “professional growth” of the trainees and their enthusiasm in mastering the course.
“It’s exciting to witness the professional growth and confidence displayed by our multinational instructor group and student participants,” he said.
“We are impressed by their desire to not only master the technical aspects of the course but also to seamlessly interact with and assist one another to optimize the experience,” the official added.
The course, which was funded by the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), was participated in by US-trained PCG instructors and USCG and Vietnam Customs instructors.
The embassy said that they trained participants in safely conducting vessel boardings at sea.
Other topics covered during the training were maritime law, evidence collection and preservation, safety and risk mitigation, and arresting techniques.
There were 32 participants in the training event, including 20 members of the PCG and the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group, as well as partners from the Vietnam Coast Guard, Vietnam Customs Anti-Smuggling and Investigations Department, Vietnam Department of Fisheries Surveillance, and the Indonesia Coast Guard.
The Australian Border Force was also there to observe the first week of activities.
This was the first INL-USCG training event held in Mindanao and the first Philippine-hosted SEATT course that featured a Vietnamese instructor.
SEATT maritime law enforcement courses were also held previously in May 2023 in Palawan, in November 2023 in La Union, and in May 2024 in Cebu.
“The SEATT program will continue to convene multiple training events in the Philippines in 2025, while also integrating PCG instructors into courses being co-hosted by partner nations,” the embassy said.