By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
“Work is never over,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday, May 6, as he urged the newly promoted Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) officers to “lead with purpose and serve with courage” as they continue defending the Philippine waters.
During the oath-taking of the PCG officers at Malacañan Palace in Manila, President Marcos emphasized the Coast Guard’s crucial role in protecting the country’s maritime domain by conducting patrols and forging partnerships with foreign allies like the United States and 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,” the President said.
“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,” he added
Marcos assured the PCG of his administration’s firm resolve to boost its personnel’s capabilities through advanced vessels, new technologies, and support systems.
He said the Comprehensive Social Benefits Program and the Free Legal Assistance for Military and Uniformed Personnel Act are among the initiatives of his administration to help the PCG personnel, including those who face any charge arising from incidents related to the performance of their official duty.
Marcos lauded the PCG’s efforts to remain “a trusted guardian of peace and justice at sea.”
He said the response to the M/T Terra Nova oil spill was a “defining moment for the Coast Guard,” as it coordinated swiftly, acted decisively, and prevented further devastation to the country’s marine ecosystems.
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, Marcos noted.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
Marcos also hailed the PCG for enforcing environmental standards with nearly 18,000 inspections of vessels and facilities and 555 shore-based patrols to make sure that those who operate in the Philippines’ maritime domain “always respect those waters.”
He said nearly 600 individuals have been held accountable for illegal maritime activities following the PCG’s conduct of 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,” Marcos said. (PNA)
