Ito ang naging pahayag ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. kasabay nang paghikayat sa mga bagong promote na Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) officers “to lead with purpose and serve with courage” habang ipinagpapatuloy ng mga ito na idepensa ang katubigan ng Pilipinas.
Sa oath-taking ceremony ng mga PCG officer sa Palasyo ng Malakanyang, binigyang-diin ni Pangulong Marcos ang mahalagang papel ng Coast Guard sa pagprotekta sa maritime domain ng bansa sa pamamagitan ng pagsasagawa ng patrols at paglagda sa partnerships kasama ang mga dayuhang kapanalig gaya ng Estados Unidos at Japan.
“But perhaps nowhere is your presence more crucial, than in the West Philippine Sea. Your continued patrols across the Kalayaan Island Group, the Philippine Rise, and our other maritime zones reaffirm our unwavering commitment to our sovereign rights,” aniya pa rin.
“What you are doing is not only protecting territory. What you are doing is not only protecting citizens. You are defining for the rest of the world the territory of the Republic of the Philippines. And having done so, you are defending that territory. That is the importance of what the job has become for Philippine Coast Guard,” ang sinabi pa rin nito.
Tiniyak naman ni Pangulong Marcos sa PCG ang matatag na pagpapasya ng administrasyon na palakasin ang kakayahan ng mga tauhan sa pamamagitan ng “advanced vessels, new technologies, at support systems.”
Sinabi pa nito na ang Comprehensive Social Benefits Program and the Free Legal Assistance for Military and Uniformed Personnel Act ay kabilang sa mga inisyatiba ng kanyang administrasyon para tulungan ang mga PCG personnel, kabilang na iyong mga nahaharap sa anumang reklamo mula sa insidente na may kaugnayan sa pagganap sa kanilang opisyal na tungkulin.
Pinuri naman ni Pangulong Marcos ang pagsisikap ng PCG na manatiling “trusted guardian of peace and justice at sea.”
Aniya, ang pagtugon sa MT Terra Nova oil spill ay isang “defining moment for the Coast Guard,” dahil maayos itong nakipag-ugnayan, kumilos nang desidido at napigilan ang karagdagang pagkawasak ng marine ecosystems ng bansa.
“From January 2024 to March 2025 alone, the PCG conducted about 2.7 million inspections, covering pre-departure checks, vessel safety, emergency readiness, and port state control,” ang sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos.
“Behind every inspection is a promise: that every Filipino who sets sail will return home safely. Nearly 45,000 seaborne missions and over 3.1 million square nautical miles of patrols show both the scale of your responsibility and the depth of your determination,” dagdag niya.
“And in moments when lives hang in the balance, you have proven time and again: The Coast Guard is there. The Coast Guard never turns away. You have responded to over 2,000 maritime incidents and rescued nearly 4,500 individuals. Each one tells a story of survival because someone in uniform answered the call,” patuloy ni Pangulong Marcos.
Pinuri naman ng Pangulo ang PCG para sa pagpapatupad ng environmental standards na may 18,000 pag-inspeksyon sa vessels at facilities at 555 shore-based patrols upang masiguro na ang mga nag-ooperate sa maritime domain ng Pilipinas “always respect those waters.”
Aniya pa, halos 600 indibudwal ang napanagot sa illegal maritime activities kasunod ng pagsasagawa ng PCG ng 33,000 sea marshaling operations.
“The missions are declarations: we will always stand for what is ours, and we will do so with dignity, with integrity, (and) with strength. To further support this mission, you have conducted 130 maritime patrols and domain awareness activities. You likewise distributed 36 high-speed rigid boats across PCG districts, reinforcing our rapid deployment and interdiction capabilities,” ang litaniya ni Pangulong Marcos. Kris Jose
