PH, Japan, US to hold maritime exercises

by Franco Jose c. Baroña ManilaTimes.net

THE Philippines will, for the first time this week, hold maritime exercises with two of its closest allies — the United States and Japan.

The trilateral exercises, to be conducted off Mariveles, Bataan from June 1 to 7, will involve around 400 personnel from the three countries, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Monday.

The PCG will deploy BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702), BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301), BRP Boracay (FPB-2401) and one 44-meter multi-role response vessel for the activity.

On the other hand, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) will dispatch its third Legend-class cutter, the USCGC Stratton (WMSL-752), while the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) will send Akitsushima (PLH32).

Coast guard personnel who will participate in the weeklong event will demonstrate a scenario involving a suspected vessel involved in piracy, the PCG said.

can turn it into a more multifunctional structure rather than limiting it into a mail sorting and distribution center, especially since technology has changed the way documents and parcels are delivered.

What happened to the Post Office building is definitely a wakeup call on how we need to conduct regular monitoring and inspection of these old buildings to make sure that the wirings are updated and kept in good condition. According to reports and interviews with officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection, the building had no fire alarm system and did not have water sprinklers –ironic considering that it contained mail and parcel that could turn a small fire into a conflagration.

There is also a strong indication that an aggravating factor may have been climate change, contributing to the rising heat in Metro Manila that has become an “urban heat island” – a phenomenon wherein materials like asphalt and concrete absorb and trap more solar energy, thereby increasing the risk and intensity of fires according to experts.

I received hundreds of emails from loyal readers expressing their sadness at the destruction of the Post Office building, sharing the memories it played in their lives. One recalled the excitement he felt when he received a package and a letter from his girlfriend – now his wife of 50 years.

It would certainly be a good idea to modernize these old buildings in a way that would not compromise their original architectural designs, but would enable them to withstand threats such as fires, earthquakes and natural disasters that are now increasing in intensity due to climate change.

We have precisely been doing that here in Washington, DC with the recent renovation of the Ambassador’s Residence, which was in disarray and neglected for so many years. We also finished the previously uncompleted renovation of the Old Chancery Building. We made sure both were declared as national historical landmarks to ensure that some “wise guy” will not have ideas of selling them like what happened in 1986 when the GSIS/PAL Union Square building in San Francisco was sold for a song. Today, that property would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Government buildings belong to the people. They should be properly maintained and duly respected as such. We should preserve these structures that are priceless; often, they are reminders of our history as a nation and as a people.

(Philstar.com)

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Meanwhile, the joint law enforcement team from the coast guards of the three participating countries will conduct a boarding inspection followed by a search and rescue operation.

The PCG said the trilateral maritime exercises aim to strengthen interoperability through communication and maneuvering drills, maritime law enforcement training, searchand-rescue and passing exercises.

PCG officer in charge, Vice Admiral Rolando Lizor Punzalan Jr., said the activity will also improve maritime cooperation and understanding.

“The U.S. Coast Guard and Japan Coast Guard have been assisting us in our human resource development program, particularly in law enforcement training,” said Punzalan. “This is a good opportunity to thank and show them what our personnel learned from their programs.”

PCG spokesman Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said the trilateral exercises are not related to the West Philippine Sea dispute between the Philippines and China.

“This is search and rescue, and law enforcement. It has nothing to do with the West Philippine Sea [dispute],” Balilo said.

“We’ve always had separate exercises with the U.S. and Japan,” he pointed out. “But this is the first time that all three countries will be conducting exercises together.”

Last month, the 38th iteration of the Balikatan exercise was held in different parts of Luzon that involved more than 17,000 Filipino and U.S. soldiers training side-by-side in a spectrum of military operations, considered the largest joint military exercise so far between the Philippines and the U.S.

The PCG said an arrival ceremony scheduled on Thursday, June 1 at Pier 15 of Manila’s South Harbor will welcome the U.S. and Japanese contingents.

Expected to attend the ceremony that will also signal the start of the maritime exercises are Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, Japanese Deputy Chief of Mission and Minister Kenichi Matsuda, and Japan International Cooperation Agency Chief Philippine Representative Takema Sakamoto. n