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Philippine Coast Guard News

10 Dec 2023

Philippines, China Trade Accusations over South China Sea Collision

© olinchuk / Adobe Stock

The Philippines and China traded accusations on Sunday over a collision of their vessels near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea as tensions over claims in the vital waterway escalate.The Philippine coast guard accused China of firing water cannons and ramming resupply vessels and a coast guard ship, causing "serious engine damage" to one, while China's coast guard said the Philippine vessel intentionally rammed its ship.China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce…

02 Nov 2023

Cargo Ship Catches Fire Off the Philippines

(Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

A fire that broke out Thursday aboard the cargo ship Ken off the Philippines has been extinguished, the Philippine Coast Guard said.The vessel, owned by Pherwin Shipping Corp., reportedly caught fire near Castilla Anchorage Area in Sorsogon at around 11 a.m. local time.The Coast Guard said it coordinated with the Philippine Navy and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for joint search and rescue and firefighting operations.According to the eight crewmembers on board, the fire started in the vessel's mess hall. No injuries were reported.

23 Oct 2023

Philippines Says Chinese Coastguard 'Intentionally' Collided with Its Boats

(Photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines)

The Philippines on Monday accused Chinese coastguard vessels of "intentionally" colliding with its vessels on a resupply mission in a disputed part of the South China Sea, as ties deteriorated between the Southeast Asian U.S. ally and Beijing.Both sides traded accusations after the latest incident on Sunday, which was the most serious yet in the waters around the disputed Second Thomas shoal, though no one was harmed.China said on Sunday that the Philippine boats "bumped dangerously" with the coastguard vessels and "Chinese fishing vessels" fishing there.On Monday…

04 Oct 2023

Philippines Says Marshall Islands-flagged Tanker May Have Been Involved in Deadly Sea Collision

An oil tanker registered under the flag of the Marshall Islands was suspected to have been involved in an 'accidental collision' with a Philippine boat in the South China Sea that killed three fishermen, the Philippine coast guard said on Wednesday.Philippine coast guard spokesperson Armando Balilo said that the incident was under investigation but that coast guard monitoring pointed to the Pacific Anna, registered under the flag of Marshall Islands, as the likely vessel that collided with the fishing boat.The coast guard said in a statement the Philippine boat "failed to detect" the approaching foreign vessel because of poor weather, resulting in a collision that caused the boat to capsize.

26 Sep 2023

Philippines Condemns Chinese 'Floating Barrier' in South China Sea

(Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

The Philippines on Sunday accused China's coast guard of installing a "floating barrier" in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.Manila's coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources "strongly condemn" China's installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.The barrier blocking fishermen from the shoal was depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities…

22 Aug 2023

Philippine and Indian Coast Guards to Enhance Cooperation

Source: ICG

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Indian Coast Guard (ICG) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance maritime cooperation at the ICG Headquarters in New Delhi, India, on August 22.PCG Commandant, CG Admiral Artemio M Abu, and ICG Director General, DG Rakesh Pal, presided over the signing ceremony. The aim of the MoU is to strengthen the professional bond between the two organizations by sharing best practices, conducting joint exercises, and enhancing training collaborations.

27 Jul 2023

More than 20 Dead as Boat Capsizes Near Philippine Capital

(Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) was racing against time to rescue more passengers from a vessel that capsized near Manila in strong winds on Thursday with the loss of at least 25 lives, officials said.It was not immediately clear how many people were on board, but disaster official Neil Ferrer told DZRH radio that 40 people had been rescued and a search is ongoing for six missing people.Members of the coast guard were seen pulling a body of what looked like a woman without a life vest from choppy waters as they carried out search and rescue operations, a video shared by the PCG showed.The boa

18 Jul 2023

Divers Inspect Grounded Ro-Ro

Photo courtesy of CGS Romblon

The 93 passengers and 36 crew on a ro-ro ran aground approximately 100 meters from shore at Barangay Nasunugan in Banton, the Philippines, at midnight on July 16 have now been rescued and refloating efforts have begun.Montenegro Shipping’s Maria Helena was sailing from Lucena Port in Lucena City, Quezon Province, bound for San Agustin Port in Tablas, Romblon, when the incident occurred.The vessel has been listing 10 degrees to portside, and the Captain is reported to have attributed the list to to the explosion of one tire of one of the rolling cargoes onboard…

11 Jul 2023

NYK Wood-Chip Carrier Rescues Woman Near the Philippines

Source: NYK

Southern Ace, a wood-chip carrier operated by NYK, spotted a woman in distress on the sea surface near the Philippines at around 17:45 (local time) on July 5 while sailing from Albany, Australia, to Niigata, Japan.After notifying the Philippine Coast Guard, the vessel rescued the person and handed her over to the coast guard at 21:00 on the same day.Captain Rex D. Lumosbog led the rescue by Southern Ace.

29 Jun 2023

Mejia Takes the Helm at WMU

Professor Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr. (Photo: WMU)

On 29 June, Professor Maximo Q. Mejia, Jr. assumed office as the eighth President of the World Maritime University (WMU). Appointed by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), who also serves as Chancellor of the University, President Mejia assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer, overseeing and directing the academic programmes, operations and administration of the University. Professor Mejia is the first President from Asia and the first President who is a graduate of WMU.Regarding his appointment…

19 Jun 2023

Fire Out on Esperanza Star

Source: Philippine Coast Guard Facebook page

The Philippine Coast Guard has declared “fire out” on the ferry Esperanza Star after attending then scene when a distress call was made at 0400 on June 18. The vessel was sailing in the waters of Panglao, Bohol, with 78 passengers and 59 crew onboard when the fire broke out at the aft of the vessel. Those onboard are reported to be safe and without injury after being taken to Bohol.The vessel is operated by Kho Shipping Lines, and the company issued a statement thanking the personnel of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)-Bohol…

15 May 2023

Philippines Places Buoys to Assert Sovereignty in South China Sea

The Philippines has placed navigational buoys within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to assert sovereignty over the disputed Spratly islands in the South China Sea, a coast guard spokesperson said on Sunday.The step comes amid China's increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea as Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr pursues warmer ties with treaty ally the United States.The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it set up five buoys carrying the national flag from May 10 to 12 in five areas within the 200-mile (322-km) zone, including the Whitsun Reef, where hundreds of Chinese m

01 May 2023

US Says Chinese Coast Guard Harassing Philippine Vessels

© Mariusz / Adobe Stock

The United States urged China on Saturday to stop harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea, pledging to stand with the Philippines after another maritime confrontation between the two Asian countries."We call upon Beijing to desist from its provocative and unsafe conduct," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.The Philippines on Friday accused China's coast guard of "aggressive tactics" following an incident during a Philippine coast guard patrol close to the Philippines-held Second Thomas Shoal…

20 Feb 2023

Philippines, US Discuss Joint Coast Guard Patrols in South China Sea

(Photo: Diolanda Caballero / U.S. Coast Guard)

The Philippines and the United States are discussing conducting joint coast guard patrols, including in the South China Sea, a Manila official said on Monday.With overlapping sovereign claims in the strategic waterway, the Philippines has ramped up rhetoric against what it describes as China's "aggressive activities" in the South China Sea, which has also become a flashpoint for Chinese and U.S. tensions around naval operation.Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) spokesperson on South China Sea issues…

07 Feb 2023

Philippines Coast Guard Boosts South China Sea Presence

(Fle photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

The Philippine Coast Guard has stepped up its presence in the disputed South China Sea by deploying additional vessels and conducting more sorties and overflights to protect maritime territory and the country's fishermen, its chief said on Monday.Beijing's sweeping claims of sovereignty over the waterway have drawn repeated complaints from Manila, which has ramped up its rhetoric against reported Chinese construction activities and the "swarming" of Chinese vessels in the resource-rich waterway."We're making sure that the presence of coast guard vessels is felt by the fishermen in the area…

19 Apr 2022

Crew Member Killed in Containership Fire off the Philippines

(Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

One crew member was killed and three more have been reported injured in a containership fire off the Philippines. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it responded to a fire aboard the Philippines-flagged General Romulo anchored off Talisay City, Cebu on Sunday.Nineteen of the ship's 20 crew members have been rescued by the Coast Guard, and three of those crew members are being treated for burns. The Coast Guard said it was unable to retrieve the body of the deceased seafarer on board "due to the magnitude of fire prevailing on the vessel".According to initial reports from the Coast Guard…

28 Mar 2022

Philippines Slams Chinese Ship's 'Close Distance Maneuvering'

(Photo: Philippine Coast Guard)

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday reported a recent incident of "close distance maneuvering" by a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel in the disputed South China Sea that "constrained" the movement of a Philippine ship sailing nearby.The March 2 incident took place during the PCG's maritime patrol operations around the Scarborough Shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, the PCG said in a news release.It was yet unclear whether the Philippines had lodged a diplomatic protest for the incident.

27 Jul 2021

94-meter Multi-Role Response Vessel for Philippine Coast Guard Launched

Credit: Embassy of Japan in the Philippines

Officials from Japan and the Philippines on Monday virtually attended the launching ceremony of the 94-meter Multi-Role Response Vessel (MRRV) at the shipyard of the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Japan.The ceremony was attended by Koshikawa Kazuhiko, the Japanese ambassador in Manila, the Philippines' Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Admiral George Villareal Ursabia, Jr.Ambassador Koshikawa conveyed his wish that the MRRV will play a vital role in maritime law enforcement and marine environment in the Philippines…

03 May 2021

Filipino Diplomat Tells China to 'Get the F*** Out' of Disputed Waters

© fpdress / Adobe Stock

The Philippine foreign minister on Monday demanded in an expletive-laced message on Twitter that China’s vessels get out of disputed waters, marking the latest exchange in a war of words with Beijing over its activities in the South China Sea.The comments by Teodoro Locsin, known for making blunt remarks at times, follow Manila's protests for what it calls the "illegal" presence of hundreds of Chinese boats inside the Philippines 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)."China, my friend, how politely can I put it?

21 Apr 2021

Cargo Ship Grounding in Philippines: Four Crew Dead, 9 Missing

Credit:  Philippine Coast Guard

Four crew members from a cargo ship that ran aground off the southern Philippines have died, while seven have been rescued and a search is continuing for nine others, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Wednesday.The crew of LCT Cebu Great Ocean abandoned the vessel, which was carrying nickel ore and 2,000 liters of diesel, before it ran aground in Surigao del Norte province on Monday, the coast guard said.The bodies of the four crew members were found after being washed onto the shore…

09 Apr 2021

IMO Honors 'Exceptional Maritime People'

Peter Hinchliffe (File photo: ICS)

The International Maritime Organization has recognized the contributions of a long-standing maritime industry chief and has presented its highest bravery accolade to two maritime pilots from Brazil and an off-duty seafarer from the Philippines.The event, which premiered on April 7, saw Peter Hinchliffe, former Secretary-General, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), receive the prestigious International Maritime Prize for 2019.The 2020 IMO Awards for Exceptional Bravery at Sea were awarded to Marcio Santos Teixeira and Fabio Rodrigues Alves de Abreu (Brazil)…

22 Mar 2021

Philippines Says 220 Chinese Militia Vessels Seen in Disputed Waters This Month

© Oleksii / Adobe Stock

The Philippines expressed concern about hundreds of Chinese military vessels it said were spotted this month in the disputed South China Sea, the latest example of tension in the crucial waterway.The Philippine Coast Guard reported that some 220 vessels, believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel, were seen moored in line formation at a reef on March 7, a cross-government task force said late on Saturday.Foreign minister Teodoro Locsin, asked whether he would file a diplomatic protest over the ships’ presence, told a journalist on Twitter: “Only if the generals tell me.

05 Mar 2021

Bulk Carrier Reports Attempted Attack off the Philippines

(Image: ReCAAP ISC)

A Bangladeshi flagged bulk carrier was approached by suspected attackers off the coast of the Philippines on Wednesday.The ReCAAP ISC said it received information from the Philippine Coast Guard about the incident involving Akij Pearl off Sibutu Island, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines.While the bulk carrier was underway, an unidentified speed boat with three perpetrators on board attempted to board the ship at about 10:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The master reported the incident to the Philippine Navy Littoral Monitoring Station (LMS).