Canadian dark vessel detector for WPS arriving in PHL this week

MANILA – The Philippines will receive this week Canada’s dark vessel detection system that it could use for free for the next five years.

The office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the state-of-the-art technology will support the Philippines’ maritime domain awareness and efforts to ward off illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing (IUUF) within its sovereign waters.

“[The] Fisheries and Oceans Canada will deploy the system to multiple monitoring facilities in the Philippines as of November 20, 2023,” it said.

The Philippines and Canada formalized a deal that would include the Philippine National Coast Watch Center (NCWC) in Canada’s Dark Vessel Detection System on the sidelines of their 6th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation in Ottawa on Oct. 12.

State... (From page 1)

“Hosting APEC in San Francisco allows us to showcase the beauty of our city, and each of the 21 APEC members maintains a relationship or presence here.

“I am honored to be appointed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed as an AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Honorary Host Committee member alongside esteemed individuals such as Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, Governor Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, U.S Senator Alex Padilla, City Attorney David Chiu, and Dominic Ng, Chairman and CEO of East West

Philippine Ambassador to Canada Maria Andrelita Austria and Canadian Assistant Deputy Minister Adam Burns of the Programs Sector, Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) signed the Arrangement on the Dark Vessel Detection (DVD) System between NCWC and the DFO of Canada.

The DVD System is a program used to combat IUUF by vessels who deliberately turn off their Automatic Identification System.

The DFA said it utilizes layered multi-sensor satellite data from both commercial and government-owned satellite assets to provide near realtime satellite imagery.

It also incorporates historical vessel information, environmental data, and analytics to support and facilitate analysis.

The system will be jointly managed by the NCWC and Canada’s DFO

Bank and Chair of the APEC Business Advisory Council.

“Last night, I had the privilege of meeting China President Xi before his official dinner at the Hyatt Regency SOMA in San Francisco. His presence at APEC underscores the significant bilateral relationship between the US and China, particularly between California and China.

‘Our world is more connected than we think. As the first and second world economies, the US and China, along with California as a significant entity, must collaborate, cooperate, and communicate effectively to build trust and prevent conflicts. I am pleased to observe the APEC world leaders and speakers focusing on Innovation, Resilience, Sustainability, and Stability for our regions and the world.”

Fiona Ma is California’s 34th State Treasurer. She was first elected on November 6, 2018, with more votes (7,825,587) than any other candidate for treasurer in the state’s history and re elected on November 8, 2022. She is the first woman of color and the first woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position. The State Treasurer’s Office was created in the California Constitution in 1849. It provides financing for schools, roads, housing, recycling and waste management, hospitals, public facilities, and other crucial infrastructure projects that better the lives of residents. California is the world’s fifth-largest economy and Treasurer Ma is the state’s primary banker. Presently, her office processes more than $3 trillion in banking transactions. She provides transparency and oversight for the government’s investment portfolio and accounts, as well as for the state’s surplus funds. Treasurer Ma oversees an investment portfolio that currently averages over $200 billion—a significant portion of which is beneficially owned by more than 2,200 local governments in California. She serves as agent of sale for all State bonds and is trustee of billions of dollars of state indebtedness.

PHL... (From page 1)

Marcos made the statement after his a talk at the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu and meeting with US military leaders in the Indo Pacific Command and the local Filipino community in Hawaii on his way back to Manila.

This developed as the Philippines and United States military forces started their joint patrols in the region to ensure freedom of navigation in international waters as well as flights over its air space.

Marcos described he situation in the South China Sea “has become more dire” as China has been expanding its presence in an area where multiple nations have competing territorial claims. “China is getting closer and closer to the Philippine coast lines,” he added.

The joint US and Philippine patrols in South China Sea are a “collaborative effort between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States Indo-Pacific Command” in the area.

“This significant initiative is a testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces in conducting maritime and air patrols,” Marcos said.

“These joint patrols are part of a series of events agreed upon by the Mutual Defense Board - Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) of both nations. I am confident that this collaboration will contribute to a more secure and stable environment for our people,” he added.

The patrols will continue through November 23, Marcos said.

The joint maritime and air patrols starte in the Matuvis island off the Batanes islands and head west to the South China Sea, according to a Philippine military statement.

Marcos had just returned to Manila from a working visit to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Hawaii where he became the first Philippine president to visit the US Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii.

In a fact sheet released earlier by the White House, it states that under deepening interoperability, the goal is to expand cooperation on maritime security and maritime domain awareness, including through the continued conduct of combined maritime activities, including but not limited to joint patrols.

Manila will deploy three navy vessels, two FA-50PH and one A-29B Super Tucano, while Washington will send one littoral combat ship and one P8-A.

Marcos said the two defense allies have launched such efforts to safeguard shared interests, although the government has earlier maintained there is no country being targeted by the joint patrols. Philippine officials have repeatedly said the basic purpose is to enhance the country’s defense capabilities and help ensure stability in the region.

Marcos said the three-day joint activity seeks to enhance the interoperability of both countries’ military forces.

“This significant initiative is a testament to our commitment to bolster the interoperability of our military forces in conducting maritime and air patrols,” he said.

“Through collaborative efforts, we aim to enhance regional security and foster a seamless partnership with the United States in safeguarding our shared interests,” Marcos added.

Marcos expressed confidence that the collaboration between the two countries will contribute to “a more secure and stable environment for our people.”

Marcos went to the US INDOPACOM headquarters during his visit to Honolulu, Hawaii, and was briefed on the regional situation and security objectives of the US and the Philippines.

In a media interview after his visit to the US INDOPACOM headquarters, Marcos said the two countries were in the process of assessing how they could improve capabilities and coordination in multiple spheres encompassing military, political, and economic.

Meanwhile, the AFP said the activity would cover Batanes and the WPS.

“The activity will commence in the vicinity of

Batanes and will end in the WPS. It will involve three Navy vessels, two FA-50PH, and one A-29B ‘Super Tucano’ from the side of the AFP while the US will send in one littoral combat ship and one P8-A,” AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement.

Trinidad said the activity pursues Philippine-US principles based on a rules-based international order.

“It demonstrates the AFP and USINDOPACOM’s (United States Indo-Pacific Command) commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific Region,” he added.

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Victims must unite against Chinese expansion

While Filipinos are justifiably concerned by the regular incursions of China into its waters, it should be noted that the Asian superpower is doing the same thing with some of its other neighbors.

The aggrieved Asean nations -- notably Vietnam -- would do well to act together rather than separately in order to put a stop to Beijing’s expansionist policy.

Chinese President Xi may have spoken some nice, even friendly, words during the recently concluded meeting of leaders in San Francisco, but everything he said should be taken with a grain of salt. He may say one thing, but the Chinese military does another.

The possibility that China’s military may even be acting without expressed approval by Xi cannot even be discounted.

That being said, Philippine President Bongbong Marcos should continue meeting with his peers in Asean, but also with other nations with an interest to keep the waterways of the region safe.

This means not only Japan and Taiwan, but also the likes of South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the US, of course.

A firm, united stand of these nations as well as the Asean countries whose territories are also under threat by China should be more than sufficient to serve as a strong reminder to Xi and/or the People’s Liberation Army that China’s plans cannot succeed.

Our motherland, the Republic of the Philippines, is under the greatest threat from the constant incursions and aggressive actions of the China Coast Guard, which sometimes acts as if it is seeking a violent confrontation with Philippine forces.

In the recent past, the China Coast Guard has used water cannons and lasers against the Filipinos. They have also collided with the smaller Philippine ships. And, as a matter of course, they have issued radio challenges.

Chinese quasi-military ships have also harassed Filipino fishermen non-stop since China laid claim to Philippine waters by virtue of their questionable nine-dash line, which they recently expanded into a 10-dash line.

It is no secret that the Philippines has the weakest armed forces in the region. This was the reason cited for former president Rodrigo Duterte to “allow” the regular incursions by China. The Philippines can never win a war against China, he said many times.

This may be true, but it is a weak excuse to take a cowardly stance.

The late president Noynoy Aquino took the right step in hailing China to an arbitration court, and winning the country’s case against its powerful neighbor.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr could also take the same step, but he could go one further. While the country may never match the military might of China, it can at the very least be strengthened to the point that the China Coast Guard will think twice about taking further aggressive acts against Filipinos.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is reportedly bent on purchasing two submarines for use of the Philippine Navy. This is a positive step. The Philippine Coast Guard also revealed plans of purchasing faster ships.

It must be noted that Vietnam has confronted Chinese ships on multiple occasions, and like the typical bully China usually backed down.

Former president Duterte was a coward where dealing with China was concerned. Current President Marcos now has the chance to show that he is made of the right stuff. The choice is his and his alone.

For public servants who are elected, performance in office is judged in the polling precincts with the achievers rewarded with another term of office. In the municipality of San Narciso in Quezon province, Mayor Florabelle Uy-Yap ran for re-election in the 2022 elections and won overwhelmingly. She is now on her third term as local chief executive.

The programs and projects she initiated have benefitted constituents of the third-class municipality:

Infrastructure projects were undertaken to generate more employment opportunities and link more barangays and communities in the municipality. Included in these projects is concreting of roads spanning more than 50 kms with a cost of about Php 800 million, as well as the opening of new roads.

The local government under Mayor Yap financed the Spring Development Project in 17 barangays to ensure the availability of clean and safe water for household use in these areas. Yap also initiated Paposo sa Sitio, a personal program in response to the needs of sitios and barangays where water is scarce.

To intensify rural electrification, the local government coordinated with the National Electrification Administration and Quezelco that resulted in 1,140 more households with electric service connection. Twenty far-flung sitios were beneficiaries of the Sitio Electrification Program.

Under Mayor Yap, other infrastructure projects undertaken include the construction of 10 covered courts, six evacuation centers, seven multipurpose halls, five day care centers and the upgrade of the Central Elementary School facilities. Municipal landmarks were installed at Sitio Bangkatan, Barangay Guinhalinan and Sitio Daniwdiw, Barangay Abuyon, both boundaries of San Narciso.

Three health centers were constructed in remote barangays to make rural health services accessible to the residents. Installation of a light house, line canals, foot bridge and hanging bridge are also among the accomplishments of the Yap administration.

Ongoing is the construction of the municipality’s Php 42.5 million convention center with terminal situated at Barangay Buenavista.

The local government’s commitment to improve the productivity of farmers, it distributed farm machinery and equipment to seven farmer associations, free seeds and fertilizers; and made irrigation available in barangays.

Fisher folk were recipients of fishing nets, boat motors and equipment. The local government has a cash for work program for fishermen when fish harvest is minimal. This usually occurs during the prevalence of the northeast monsoon (amihan). It also has a Bantay Dagat program.

The local government is helping out-of-school youth in job placements as it identifies vacancies in companies located in the municipality. It continues to coordinate with different government agencies for the TUPAD program of DOLE. Cash for Work program in San Narciso has logged 5,804 beneficiaries.

In the promotion of social welfare, the local government has programs for senior citizens, nutrition and medical, housing, and education. With an improved database of senior citizens in the municipality, the number of pensioners (Continued on page 20)

Trust in the Lord

Many times in the past, like most people, I have railed against the misfortunes that have come my way.

I have lost beloved ones, friends who proved disloyal, elections that were “stolen” from me.

Speaking of elections, what if I had won the presidency of FAMAS in 1976? Because I lost, I founded another organization, the first of its kind, the Aliw Awards Foundation, Inc. ! I wonder where FAMAS would be today, had I won.

What if I had succeeded to be the first woman President of the National Press Club in 2005? Would I have survived the pressures of the job that could have cost me my life?

Though I initially questioned why I had to lose, eventually I accepted such losses as God’s will , for me.

I have consequently outlived many of my peers and today, I continue to steer the Foundation towards the achievement of its long-term goals.

My trust in God has guided me and enabled me to overcome the obstacles in my way. There have been detractors, people with malice, who have sought my downfall . Today, I harbor no ill will against them and wish them well. I pay that they will one day banish the rancor in their hearts.

I look forward to launching a monumental project, almost five years in the making, the Walk of Fame for Live Entertainers, before the foundation marks its 5oth year.

As in the past four and a half decades, I place my trust in the Lord, Wgo has never failed me.

To Him be the glory!