THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Directorate General for Sea Transportation (DGST) of the Republic of Indonesia, and Japan Coast Guard (JCG) launch the four-day Regional Marine Pollution Exercise (MARPOLEX) 2024 at BREDCO Port, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental yesterday, 24 June 2024.
Leading the arrival ceremony were:
1) Coast Guard District Western Visayas Commander, CG Captain Weneil Azcuna,
2) BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) Commanding Officer, CG Captain Lawrence Roque,
3) KN TRISULA P111 Commanding Officer, Captain Satria Aji Yudha (DGST), and
4) PLH 02 TSUGARU Commanding Officer, Captain Mori Naoki (JCG).
Participating Coast Guards conducted joint maritime exercises on search and rescue (SAR), firefighting, oil spill and equipment recovery operations, as well as damage assessment.
Prior to these exercises, the Commanding Officers and members of the oil spill response team will determine the position of the vessels and other assets to ensure safe speed and distance through a comprehensive tabletop exercise.
The biennial MARPOLEX is an implementation of the 1981 Sulawesi Sea Oil Spill Response Network Plan Agreement. The Regional MARPOLEX 2024 is the 23rd conduct of the said maritime exercise since its establishment in 1986.
The PCG and DGST maintain a strong fraternal agreement that promotes multilateral cooperation and collaborative efforts towards addressing major spillage in the Asian region.
Meanwhile, the JCG supports the initiative that enhances the Philippines and Indonesia’s operational readiness and capability for oil spill incidents, making the Regional MARPOLEX 2024 an opportunity to share knowledge and latest techniques in maritime safety and marine environmental protection.
Editor’s Note: This article has been sourced from the Philippine Coast Guard – Philippines Facebook Page.
