• CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Regional Marine Pollution Exercise (MARPOLEX) 2024, held in Bacolod City this week, is more than just a formal agreement, it is a commitment to action…and “we pledge to strengthen our oil spill response capabilities, enhance regional cooperation, and protect our marine ecosystems from pollution”.
Vice Admiral Rolando Lizor Punzalan Jr., deputy commandant for Operations of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), said this at the send-off ceremony for the MARPOLEX participating coast guard vessels and personnel at Bredco Port in Bacolod this morning, June 28.
The PCG’s BRP Gabriela Silang, KN Trisula P.111 of the Directorate General of Sea Transportation of Indonesia (DGST), and PLH 02 Tsugaru of the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) joined the four-day MARPOLEX, and conducted firefighting, search and rescue, and oil spill response exercises off the nearby Guimaras Strait June 26.
“We have come together to tackle one of the most pressing issues facing our oceans: pollution. Through our collective efforts and dedication, we have simulated various scenarios, refined our response mechanisms, and strengthened our commitment to protecting marine ecosystems,” Punzalan said.
“However, our work does not end here. The threats of marine pollution are real and ongoing. It is up to us to continue our efforts to reduce, prevent, and mitigate the impacts of pollution on our oceans,” he stressed.
He urged participating coast guards to “remain vigilant, proactive, and resolute in our mission to protect our oceans and the precious life they sustain. Together, we can make a difference…we can create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for our planet.”
Punzalan also thanked the JCG and DGST for their invaluable contributions. “It is through our combined expertise and commitment that this exercise has achieved resounding success. May the bonds forged during this conference continue to grow stronger as we work together towards a healthy ocean and flourishing environment.”
The PCG said the biennial MARPOLEX is pursuant to the 1981 Sulawesi Sea Oil Spill Response Network Plan Agreement, adding that this year’s exercise is the 23rd since its establishment in 1988.
This year’s MARPOLEX, with multiple international observers, is a “new avenue for cooperation to maintain the protection of vital seas, like Sulu and the Celebes Sea, following agreement with Indonesia, Philippines, and confident partner Japan,” the PCG said, adding that rules-based order will be maintained, including the ability to respond to oil spill and other maritime activities along major sea lanes.
The observers include coast guards from South Korea and the United States, as well as officials from the National Southern Oil Spill Response Center of Vietnam, the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited of the United Kingdom, and the Oil Spill Response Limited from Singapore. | CGC
