Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant, CG Admiral Leopoldo V Laroya will formally bow out of the Coast Guard service after more than 38 years of public service tomorrow, 10 February 2022.

The men and women of the PCG express their sincere gratitude to the inspiring leadership of CG Admiral Laroya who significantly contributed to the transformation of the modern PCG.

PCG AMID THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In his five-month Command, CG Admiral Laroya sustained the COVID-19 response of the PCG in support of the whole-of-government efforts amid the global pandemic.

Through the Task Force Bayanihan for Returning Overseas Filipinos (TFB-ROF), the PCG continued to assist in the daily operations of the One-Stop-Shops (OSS) at the airport, such as through escorting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to airport terminals and quarantine hotels, ferrying returning overseas Filipinos for RT-PCR testing in different testing sites, and transporting COVID-19 patients to isolation facilities.

The PCG also supported the nationwide vaccination drive, ‘Bayanihan Bakunahan’ by opening the National Headquarters in Port Area, Manila as one of the sites for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines in the National Capital Region (NCR). PCG security personnel were also dispatched to regional vaccination sites across the country to assist local government units in upholding public security during the three-day initiative.

While PCG Districts deployed safety personnel to ensure compliance with passenger capacity and health protocols aboard passenger vessels and motorbancas, Coast Guard buses were also dispatched at the EDSA busway to serve the increasing number of commuters due to lighter quarantine restrictions. This was on top of the Coast Guard’s augmentation to the Inter-Agency Council for Traffic (I-ACT) to uphold public safety in EDSA and major public transport hubs in Metro Manila. Coast Guard K9 teams also performed regular patrols in train stations to protect commuters from possible threats to public safety.

PCG’S MODERNIZATION EFFORTS

To intensify the modernization of the PCG, CG Admiral Laroya prioritized the recruitment and training of thousands of PCG officers and personnel towards the expansion of the Coast Guard workforce. He also further strengthened the PCG’s bilateral relationship with the Japanese government, highlighted by the inauguration of the two 97-meter multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) in Japan and the joint maritime security and maritime law enforcement exercises of the PCG with the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) in Sibutu Passage, Tawi-Tawi in November 2021.

Several Coast Guard assets and infrastructure were also inaugurated, including the newest air asset of the PCG Aviation Force, the Cessna Grand Caravan Ex aircraft – PCG 2081; Headquarters of the PCG District Western Visayas in Iloilo City; PCG Special Operations Force Boat Support Facility in Zamboanga City; Coast Guard Boat House in Surigao City; and the PCG Satellite Training Institute at the Coast Guard Base Taguig.

Moreover, CG Admiral Laroya continued the recruitment of community leaders and local fishermen as PCG Auxiliary (PCGA) members to support the Coast Guard’s disaster response and maritime safety operations across the country.

PCG AMID THE ONSLAUGHT OF TYPHOON ODETTE

Before the onslaught of Typhoon Odette, the Coast Guard Commandant directed PCG District Commanders to muster all deployable response groups (DRGs) and quick response teams (QRTs) in Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao. After inspecting their search and rescue (SAR) assets and gears, PCG personnel advised all shipping companies and vessel operators to take shelter during heavy weather and issued a maritime safety advisory to fishermen, ship crew, and other stakeholders.

CG Admiral Laroya also tapped PCGA Squadrons to prepare for relief operations, allowing the PCG Task Force Kalinga to immediately conduct relief transport missions as soon as the weather stabilized and after the aerial assessment performed by the PCG Aviation Force in critical areas including Negros Occidental, Surigao del Norte, and Pag-asa Island in Kalayaan, Palawan.

Amid the onslaught of Typhoon Odette, the PCG successfully rescued a total of 1,032 affected residents and evacuated almost 12,000 individuals in Northeastern Mindanao, Northern Mindanao, Central Visayas, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Palawan. The PCG also responded to 115 maritime incidents, 90 of which occurred in Central Visayas.

Utilizing BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407), the PCG conducted ferry missions for hundreds of stranded tourists and other affected individuals in Siargao Island and Dinagat Islands.

As of yesterday, 08 February 2022, the PCG Task Force Kalinga transported a total of 3,505.4 tons of relief goods and critical supplies to support the rehabilitation of the affected families of Typhoon Odette since 19 December 2021. PCG vessels and air assets transported a total of 1,871 tons of goods, while PCGA aircraft and private vessels that are part of the said mission have ferried 1,634.4 tons of supplies.

CG Admiral Laroya instructed the PCG Task Force Kalinga to continue the utilization of all available assets and resources in transporting relief goods and critical supplies to MiMaRoPa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga towards the recovery and rehabilitation of typhoon-stricken families.

According to the outgoing PCG Commandant, his five-month Command became meaningful and productive through guidance and inspiration from Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur P. Tugade whom he referred to as the ‘Father of the Modern Coast Guard”.

Meanwhile, five senior flag rank officers have been recommended to Secretary Tugade who shall then recommend to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte the appointment of the 29th PCG Commandant – (1) CG Vice Admiral Eduardo D Fabricante of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1989, (2) CG Vice Admiral Oscar C Endona Jr of the PMA Class of 1990, (3) CG Vice Admiral Artemio M Abu of the PMA Class of 1992, (4) CG Vice Admiral Rolando Lizor N Punzalan of the PMA Class of 1992, and (5) CG Rear Admiral Ronnie Gil L Gavan of the PMA Class of 1993.

CG Vice Admiral Fabricante is the current PCG Deputy Commandant for Operations and the most senior among the five recommended flag rank officers. CG Vice Admiral Endona, on the other hand, serves as the PCG Deputy Commandant for Administration and the former Task Force Commander of the PCG Task Force Pagsasanay.

CG Vice Admiral Abu is the Commander of the Maritime Safety Services Command (MSSC) and the Task Force Commander of the PCG Task Force Kaligtasan sa Karagatan; CG Vice Admiral Punzalan is the current Commander of the Marine Environmental Protection Command (MEPCOM) and the Task Force Commander of the PCG Task Force Bayanihan for Returning Overseas Filipinos (TFB-ROF); while CG Rear Admiral Gavan is designated as the Commander of the Maritime Security and Law Enforcement Command (MARSLEC) and the Task Force Commander of the PCG Task Force Kalinga and the PCG Task Force Pagsasanay.