• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The biennial Regional Marine Pollution Exercise (MARPOLEX) 2024, where coast guard vessels of the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia participated, was launched yesterday at the BREDCO Port in Bacolod City.
Coast guard personnel of the three countries will conduct joint maritime exercises on search and rescue (SAR), firefighting, oil spill and equipment recovery operations, as well as damage assessment.
Leading the arrival ceremony were Coast Guard District Western Visayas commander, CG Captain Weneil Azcuna, 2) BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) commanding officer, CG Captain Lawrence Roque, Indonesia’s KN TRISULA P111 commanding officer, Captain Satria Aji Yudha (DGST), and Japan’s PLH 02 TSUGARU Commanding Officer, Captain Mori Naoki (JCG).
Representatives of the United States and South Korea coast guards also joined the launching ceremony.
Marpolex is an oil spill response integrated exercise held every two years since 1986. The Philippines and Indonesia initially conducted the exercise following the implementation of the Sulu Sulawesi Oil Spill Network Plan 1981. Japan joined in 1995
The activity at the Bacolod territorial waters will also likewise test, evaluate, and enhance the effectiveness of the working relationship of the PCG with Japan and Indonesia coast guards.
The PCG and Indonesia Coast Guard maintains a strong fraternal agreement that promotes multilateral cooperation and collaborative efforts towards addressing major spillage in the Asian region.
On the other hand, the Japan Coast Guard 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.
The five-day MARPOLEX 2024 will end June 29.*
