Tag: Philippines

Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile said The Philippines should consult government agencies and maritime law experts to bolster its claim over the disputed Scarborough Shoal, Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile said during a Senate hearing Friday."The Philippines should be in unanimity when it argues its case before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)," Enrile said.He said all the concerned government agencies should gather their heads to prepare a paper which will be submitted to the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee for further study."We have to have a guide in dealing with this problem," Enrile said.Enrile also suggested that the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Justice should talk to lawyer Estelito Mendoza for better understanding of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).Mendoza is the only living member of the team created by the late President Ferdinand Marcos that participated in the UNCLOS deliberation."All of us must have a better understanding of this issue before we start talking," Enrile said.Enrile pointed that the country has a good case in claiming its right over Scarborough Shoal as well as the Reed Bank.He explained that China's nearest island to the disputed shoal is Hainan which ...

The Philippines' largest warship was in a stand-off with Chinese vessels last week The Philippines and China have accused each other of further maritime intrusions in disputed waters following a stand-off last week.The Philippines lodged a second formal diplomatic protest, saying China was harassing a research ship at the Scarborough Shoal, 230km off its island of Luzon.China said the vessel was in Chinese waters and should leave.A Philippine warship faced off with Chinese boats at the shoal last week.A spokesman from the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said that the archaeological research ship carrying the Philippine flag had been "harassed by Chinese ships and aircraft" at the shoal."We lodged the protest yesterday afternoon. The harassment of the vessel is part of the continued intrusion and illegal activities being done in the area," spokesman Raul Hernandez was quoted by the Agence-France Presse news agency as saying.He said that scientists, including nine French nationals, were manning the boat.But the Chinese embassy in Manila accused the boat of intrusion. "We urge the archaeological vessel to leave the area immediately," spokesman Zhang Hua said in a statement.Territorial disputePhilippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, in a statement, is asking China to settle the issue over ...

Graduation ceremony held for 1st batch in new 3rd Year Program MOL President today announced the graduation of 84 students in the first batch of its "Third Year Program" at Magsaysay Institute of Shipping, MOL's training center in the Philippines. On hand for the graduation ceremony were Dr. Sinforoso M. Birung, Director IV, Office of Programs and Standards from the Philippines Commission on Higher Education, Doris Magsaysay Ho, President of Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, MOL Senior Managing Executive Officer Soichi Hiratsuka, and others.MOL introduced the Third Year Program, targeting new Filipino seafarers from among third-year students at seven partner maritime schools in the Philippines , with the goal of developing seafarers who will uphold strict safety standards in vessel operation. The company has provided education and training at MIS since June 2011.MOL Senior Managing Executive Officer Hiratsuka addressed the ceremony, saying "Safe operation is our social responsibility as an ocean shipping company, and the foundation of our customers' trust. Building upon your experience at MIS, I hope you will become worthy members of MOL through hands-on instruction aboard MOL's training shipSpirit of MOL and its operated vessels. I hope you will grow as personnel who represent the future of ocean shipping." ...

Philippines ranks fourth among the largest shipbuilding nations in the world Filipino government officials in Greece urged shipowners to invest and take advantage of the booming shipbuilding industry in the Philippines.Philippine Ambassador to Greece Meynardo Montealegre urged the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS), the oldest and largest organization of shipowners there, to consider putting up operations in the Philippines.Montealegre noted that shipbuilding and ship repair cost in the Philippines, as well as the efficiency and experience of workers, is comparable to its neighboring countries.The Philippines ranks fourth among the largest shipbuilding nations in the world after South Korea, China, and Japan.The Philippines is also one of the world's major suppliers of mariners, Montealegre said.In a meeting with UGS resident Theodoros Veniamis, Montealegre said the Philippines and Greece both have a strong maritime tradition.In turn, Veniamis invited the Philippines to promote its shipbuilding and ship repair industry in the upcoming "Posidonia 2012," one of the largest maritime exhibitions held every two years in Greece.At the end of their meeting, Montealegre and Veniamis agreed to strengthen further the cooperation between the Philippines and Greece on the shipping industry.Source: GMA News

Rules based on transparency and diplomacy should be used to resolve maritime issues Russia is supporting the Philippines' stand that rules based on transparency and diplomacy should be used to resolve maritime issues.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov aired his government's support during his bilateral meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario in Moscow on March 13, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday.The 2 officials tackled regional and international issues, including maritime security in the Asia-Pacific region."They agreed that the threats faced in this area should be approached using a rules-based regime based on transparency and diplomacy. They affirmed their commitment to ensure safety of navigation and other security issues in the Asia-Pacific region," the DFA said.The Philippines earlier asked China to end the disputes in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea by validating the 2 countries' territorial claims under the United Nations on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).Chinese Ambassador Ma Keqing declined to make a commitment on the issue but said Beijing is not ignoring the UNCLOS as a way to resolve territorial disputes.Del Rosario and Lavrov also discussed Syrian crisis and the Arab Spring phenomena in their bilateral talks, according to ...

ILO C185 revised the earlier Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz reported yesterday that the Philippine Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland has transmitted the Philippines's instrument of ratification of ILO Convention 185, or the Seafarers' Identity Convention (Revised) 2003 to the International Labor Organization (ILO)."Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, Permanent Representative of the Philippine Mission in Geneva and our Labor Attache Manuel G. Imson had recently deposited the Philippine instrument of ratification of ILO C185 to the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland," said Baldoz."As a procedure, the ILO issues a Certificate of Deposit in receipt of the Instrument of Ratification. The formal registration will commence and thereafter, the Philippines will be notified of the actual date of ratification and corresponding date of the instrument's entry into force," Baldoz explained.She also said that the ratification instrument was handed by the aforesaid Philippine officials to Director Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry of the International Labour Standards Department of ILO who has conveyed her appreciation for the Philippines's ratification of ILO C185.President Benigno S. Aquino III has ratified ILO C185 early this year. The Convention, which will ensure and secure and continuous employment of Filipino seafarers, provides for a uniform ...

Philippine Coast Guard sees a stronger maritime security With two new utility boats and now, new anti-terror equipment, the Philippine Coast Guard sees a stronger maritime security.Philippine Coast Guard chief Vice Admiral Edmund C. Tan said the new anti-terror equipment composed of bullet proof vests, vest carrier, plates, ballistic helmets and visors will be used by the PCG's Special Operations Group-Anti Terrorist Unit."The new protective gears will add safety measures to the protocols set by the PCG in performing life-threatening tasks like vessel boarding, security inspections, and explosive ordnance disposal," said Tan.He added that the new gears are expected to help significantly improve PCG's Anti-Terrorist Unit counter terrorism capability.The new equipment from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was personally turned over by Retired Vice Admiral Toshitaka Ishima to the PCG during a ceremony held recently at the Coast Guard Headquarters in Manila.Meanwhile, Tan said aside from the donated equipment, JICA is also working with PCG in sponsoring skills trainings and seminars for our coast guard personnel, adding that this development will immensely enhance PCG's capability in the performance of its mandated task in support of the priority program of the government in maritime security."A better trained and equipped PCG ...

Says DOLE chief Filipino seafarers are assured of continued good standing in the global maritime community, as the Philippines maintained its standing in the White List of the International Maritime Organization, the Department of Labor and Employment said.Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the Philippines has taken corrective actions recommended by the European Commission's Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)."The Philippines remains firmly solid on the IMO's 'white list' in 2011, which reflects its consistent and sustained efforts in giving full and complete effect to the IMO's revised Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping Convention (STCW '95) as amended," Baldoz said.According to the DOLE, the country has consistently sustained and maintained its inclusion in the "White List" in 2000, 2005, and 2009. Baldoz said the submission of updates on the corrective actions taken in response to the EMSA audit recommendations "demonstrate our firm commitment to improve our higher maritime education, training, and certification systems."Meanwhile, the DOLE said the Philippine Maritime Training Council (MTC) and the Seamen's Employment Center of Japan (SECOJ) signed a memorandum of agreement to implement the MTC's 2012 Maritime Instructors' Training Program.SECOJ is an authorized judicial foundation of the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.The DOLE said the ...

U.S. approval for the sale of the USCGC Dallas The Philippines navy soon will receive its second decommissioned U.S. Coast Guard ship amid concern that the move sends the wrong signal to China.Final U.S. approval for the sale of the USCGC Dallas, a Hamilton class cutter, is under way and the 378 foot-long, 3,250-ton vessel should soon sail for the Philippines.The Dallas was commissioned in 1967 at the Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans. It carries a crew of 167 and can stay at sea for around 45 days, making it a high-endurance vessel.Armaments included one OTO Melara MK-75 76mm gun, two MK-38 25mm machine gun systems and two MK 36 SRBOC systems. It also had a Phalanx CIWS missile defense gun, along with other mounted machine guns.The ship is being sold as an excess defense article through the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act 1961.But the Communist Party of the Philippines said the sale indicates the United States is preparing the Philippines navy as its de facto fighting force against China as the tensions increase in the South China Sea, a report in the Philippines newspaper Business Mirror said."The transfer of another naval cutter from the U.S. government serves the purpose of ...

IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu visits Philippines International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary General Koji Sekimizu visited the agency's regional headquarters in East Asia located at the head office of Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Inc. (PTC) in Makati last February 7, 2012 as part of his 3-day state visit to the country.In his first official visit to the country after assuming office last January 2, he underscored the importance the IMO has bestowed on the Philippines as a maritime country and a primary source of highly-qualified and competent maritime professionals worldwide.Secretary General Sekimizu was warmly welcomed by PTC Chairman, Ambassador Carlos C. Salinas and other PTC officials; members of the IMO Regional Presence for Technical Co-operation in East Asia headed by Regional Coordinator Atty. Brenda V. Pimentel; representatives of the Filipino Shipowners Association (FSA); and alumni of the World Maritime University and the International Maritime Law Institute.A brief closed-door meeting took place between the Secretary General and the IMO regional officers, followed by a tour of the Philippine Center for Advanced Maritime Simulation and Training, Inc. (PHILCAMSAT), an internationally-certified training center dedicated to the continuing professional advancement of Filipino seafarers. Highly-impressed with PHILCAMSAT's world-class training facilities, Secretary General Sekimizu experimented with one of ...