2018 has been a bold and productive year for the Philippine Coast Guard as we have exerted all our efforts to enable us to sustain our mission ready status. The government’s increased appropriation to the PCG demands resulted to return of investment, as such, the Command was able to put forward and executed a focused and result-oriented Coast Guard operations to meet the requirements of our maritime stakeholders.
I am extremely proud of how the brave men and women of our Coast Guard Service performed and accomplished various missions in 2018 with exceptional pride and unwavering zest. Although extremely small in number as compared to other armed services, we, in the Coast Guard service distinguish ourselves by our unrelenting quest for mission excellence and ability to perform and respond amidst limited resources. With your help, our PCG remained an indispensable instrument of national development.
Although not without challenges, we were able to stay on course in our goal of building a 21st century Coast Guard service. With our collective efforts, we were able to execute our modest “building” program which paved the way to the influx of modern platforms and infrastructure support facilities. Complemented by our greatest assets, the capable, professional, and spirited Coast Guard workforce, we will continue to restructure our service towards a better and more effective Coast Guard organization.
2019 is here with us. What the next twelve months will bring is anyone’s guess. But one thing is sure, the pace of our work is unlikely to slow down. We will continue to push forward with the initiatives wherein which we have already gained sufficient grounds. We will continue with our reforms to build a more credible and sustainable Fiscal Management System to safeguard the funds that are entrusted to us and ensure that they will be disposed of within the confines allowed by law. The procurement of additional personnel will remain high in our agenda. This is to put more fresh legs in the field and make our presence more felt by those who most need our service. The Coast Guard mission of ensuring safety of our waterways remains our primary priority. As such, we will be building additional lighthouses and VTMS structures to complement those that will undergo rehabilitations and refurbishments. Further, we will sustain our efforts in building national and international confidence in our search and rescue response capability as we maintain our position as the primary national maritime SAR organization. We will continue to leverage on our existing institutional arrangements with other Philippine law enforcement agencies, counterpart agencies in neighboring countries, and other regional law enforcement organizations to support our thrust of maintaining peace and good order at sea. We will push forward in our efforts to recapitalize our assets and take advantage of existing technologies to improve our support facilities that will sustain our day to day operations and will improve the delivery of Coast Guard service to our people.
I believe that we have delivered what was expected of us in another year of Coast Guard operation. It does not however provide us with the reason to be complacent. As Coast Guard missions demand, continue to grow and evolve, we should remain steadfast and committed to be a mission-focused and strategy-driven organization, where people and modern platforms work seamlessly towards the attainment of our operational objectives. All these in support of the overall national agenda of providing a secure and safe maritime environment and comfortable life for all the stakeholders.
No matter what 2019 has in store for us, I know that the Philippine Coast Guard will meet it head on with our characteristic warmth, commitment, and enthusiasm. Thank you for your continued support. Until then, I wish you and your families a peaceful, happy, and prosperous New Year.
ADMIRAL ELSON E HERMOGINO PCG
27th Commandant, Philippine Coast Guard