PCG calls for ‘unity’ in marine environment protection
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has called for “unity” in protecting the marine environment during the Regional Marine Pollution Exercise (MARPOLEX) 2022 in Makassar, Indonesia Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
PCG Deputy Commandant for Administration, CG Vice Admiral Rolando Lizor Punzalan, said all countries are prone to oil spill incidents as ships traverse oceans to support the global economy.
“Oil spill incidents will continue as long as the oceans remain our means of transporting oil efficiently. For this unavoidable nature of oil spill incidents, we gather here in the Regional MARPOLEX 2022 and think of the best ways to eliminate the harmful effects of these incidents,” CG Vice Admiral Punzalan expressed.
“We should not only develop responses to untoward incidents but, more importantly, prevent oil spills from happening through enforcing and implementing laws that protect our marine environment from pollution,” he added.
For his part, the Republic of Indonesia’s Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi said the Regional MARPOLEX 2022 is held in the vicinity waters off South Sulawesi, strategically located in Indonesia Archipelagic Sea Lanes II, as it plays a critical role in connecting international and domestic shipping.
It records high-intensity shipping operations, oil and gas activities, and other maritime operations in the Makassar waters.
“This certainly increases the risk of accidents resulting in oil spills that pollute and damage the marine environment. Thus, the preparedness of personnel and equipment is needed to overcome shipping disasters as assistance for the Makassar Strait area,” Minister Budi said.
Moreover, CG Vice Admiral Punzalan shared that the PCG and the Directorate General for Sea Transportation (DGST) of the Republic of Indonesia forged a fraternal agreement to advocate multilateral cooperation to address major spillage in the Asian region.
He also recognized the Japan Coast Guard’s (JCG) role in ensuring the operational readiness of the Philippines and Indonesia for oil spill incidents, making the Regional MARPOLEX 2022 an opportunity to share new knowledge and techniques in the field of marine environmental protection.
“The primary focus of this gathering is to protect our marine environment. Hence, I call on our law enforcement units and shipping industry stakeholders to unite in protecting our rich marine environment,” CG Vice Admiral Punzalan furthered.
“This joint maritime exercise between the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan symbolizes our powerful spirit of cooperation in times of emergency and disasters,” he ended. By Jun I. Legaspi
