By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
As he stepped down from his post as the leader of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan (Ret.) was honored in a retirement ceremony on Monday.
This, as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also led the change of command ceremony which saw Vice Adm. Rommel Supangan rise up the ranks to serve as PCG’s new top official.
In his speech, the President reiterated his unwavering support for the Coast Guardians, reminiscing about the recent celebration of the institution’s 125th Founding Anniversary on Oct. 16.
He went on to recognize the notable achievements achieved by PCG under Adm. Gavan’s leadership, which include the conduct of nearly 5,000 search and rescue operations, rescuing 22,784 people, as well as spearheading relief operations during the onset of Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan in 2025.
President Marcos Jr. addressed the outgoing official, “Admiral Gavan, maraming maraming salamat. Pinamunuan ninyo ang PCG nang may integridad at katapatan sa tungkulin. Sa ilalim ng iyong pamumuno, lalo itong naging handa, matatag, at maaasahan.”
As Vice Adm. Supangan stepped up to assume leadership of Coast Guardians nationwide, the Chief Executive expressed confidence in his decades of public service experience and trust in his capabilities to steer the institution towards a brighter future, while remaining adherent to its mandate.
A graduate of PMA Marilag Class of 1995, PCG Commandant Supangan holds a degree in Master of Science in Maritime Affairs, Major in Marine Environment and Ocean Management from World Maritime University, Sweden in 2008.
He also held several positions within the institution, including commander of the Coast Guard Fleet (June 2025-October 2026); acting director of the Coast Guard Strategic Studies and International Affairs Center (June 2025-February 2026); and commander of the Marine Environmental Protection Command (February 2026 -October 2026).
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