By BETHEENA KAE UNITE

It was a busy year for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) as it continuously equipped itself with efficient tools and personnel, gearing up for maritime security challenges in the coming year.

Among the biggest challenges faced by the agency in 2017 was the task to be the “captain of the ports," overseeing the security and operations in all ports in Mindanao.

When martial law was declared in Mindanao in May, the Coast Guard also sent 300 of its men including special operation force and anti-terrorism unit to be an additional reinforcement for the government defense against the Maute terrorists.

PCG men deployed in Mindanao also provided diversionary tactics over the enemies while conducting intensified patrols in the vicinity waters off Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.

Remarkably, the Coast Guard apprehended identified arm bandits and law violators successfully during operations.

Two alleged pirates in Davao City were nabbed on June 5 while three confirmed Maute members were arrested in Iloilo after departing Cagayan De Oro onboard a passenger vessel. They were detained on June 18.

Claims on being the piracy capital

In the middle of the year, the world shipping community sounded the alarm that the Philippines is becoming the world’s next piracy capital due to the piracy incidents occurring in the Southern part of the country.

This claim however was belied by Commodore Joel Garcia, PCG officer-in-charge, when he was invited in Singapore for the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery, allaying fears of piracy escalation in the country's territorial waters.

"Four new vessels from Japan were also sent to alternately patrol the Moro Gulf, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Tawi-Tawi, including Sibutu Passage. To date, incidents of piracy have gone down," PCG said.

Numbering system

The Safety Security and Environmental Numbering System was implemented in June covering all vessels and watercraft in the country in a bid to eliminate the escape plans of terrorists and kidnap-for-ransom bandits.

Under the scheme, all watercraft plying the Philippines territorial waters, if not bearing the identified markings or numbering, would be considered suspicious and would be apprehended.

“As of November this year, 99 percent of its implementation in Mindanao has been accomplished and the rest of the country is catching up,” the PCG announced recently.

New equipment

Several equipment were also added to every Coast Guard unit in the country this year following the procurement of major projects.

The additional watercraft included 20 jet skis, 10 11.5-meter special-purpose craft for maritime law enforcement, 20 aluminum boats, 12 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB), a medium-weight multipurpose twin-engine helicopter and motor vehicles such as 10 boom trucks and five ambulances.

 Security equipment including different types of guns -- 1,124 9mm submachine guns; 2,328 assault rifle; 48 sniper rifles; 350 light machine guns; 12 .50-caliber anti-material sniper rifle; 54 .50-caliber heavy machine guns; 7, 743 9mm pistols; six heavy machine guns with automatic gyro stabilizer; and six 12.7mm machine guns -- were also acquired by the PCG.

Next year, the PCG said, it will be building five regional bases --two in the eastern seaboard of the country, one in Southern Philippines, one in Western Philippines, and one in Southern Visayas.

It will also be spending P197 million to build 20 radar stations to monitor vital sailings.

The PCG will also be receiving foreign-funded projects like the completion of the 10 44-meter multirole-response vessels; two 92-meter vessels; and 10 rigid haul inflatable boats from Japan-- all due next year..

One unit of an 82-meter and four 25-meter vessels from France will also be delivered next year.

 Japan government meanwhile committed to build four radar stations in Southern Philippines.

Testing the waters

The PCG has also started taking steps to test the waters between their relationship with their Chinese counterparts in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines and China have agreed to do better communication and coordination when their respective Coast Guards meet in the disputed sea.

According to the PCG, the agreement means that when the two Coast Guards meet in the said sea, "they would be able now to communicate with each other in a fashionable, friendly and cooperative manner."

Under the agreement, the Hotline Communication Mechanism in the operational and tactical level was established by the two Coast Guards in their security and law enforcement cooperation.

Furthermore the Chinese Ministry of Transport through their Maritime Rescue Coordinating Council offered a Hotline of Communication equipment, which would provide real-time communication between the two agencies using radio communications and video conferencing.

PCG also bared plans to deploy its newest vessels from Japan to the disputed sea to "test the waters on the relationship of both countries."

"These are all preparations ahead of all challenges. We now have the equipment, personnel and skills, we are ready to go an extra mile in protecting the maritime domain of our country," the PCG said.