The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) through the Marine Environmental Protection Command (MEPCOM) and the Office of the Deputy Chief of Coast Guard Staff for Marine Environmental Protection (DCS for MEP, CG-9) conducted a two-day Marine Pollution Exercise (MARPOLEX) 2017 Planning and Signing Conference at Princesa Garden Island Resort, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on 29-30 September 2016.

This MARPOLEX Planning and Signing Conference is a significant undertaking in support of the efforts on regional cooperation mechanism to ensure the capability and readiness through inter-operability of member countries in addressing “pollution from oil spill”. A Marine Pollution (MARPOL) Exercise between the Philippines, Republic of Indonesia, and Japan is being conducted biennial. This year, the PCG hosted the Planning and Signing Conference for next year’s exercise in Benoa, Bali, Indonesia.

The Planning and Signing Conference for MARPOLEX 2017 was hosted by the Commander, Coast Guard District Palawan, COMMO FERDINAND M VELASCO PCG and was attended by the representatives from Indonesia’s Directorate General of Sea Transport (DGST) headed by COMMO VICTOR VIKKI SUBROTO, Japan Coast Guard (JCG) headed by CAPT NOBUHISA KANEKO, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) headed by COMMO ELSON E HERMOGINO PCG, Mr. Joselito Guevarra, Project Manager of the International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association – Global Initiative for South East Asia (IPIECA-GISEA),and key personnel from O/DCS for MEP, CG-9 and Coast Guard District Palawan.

The said exercise aims to enhance the inter-operability of the PCG, DGST and JCG as well as to ensure the level of preparedness of each country’s assets and capabilities in combating oil pollution at sea as well as the introduction of new techniques, strategy and effective assessment in oil spill response operation in integrated Oil Spill Response. Subject activity reinforces the PCG’s mandate of protecting the marine environment as dictated by Republic Act 9993 or the Philippine Coast Guard Law of 2009 and in performance of its obligations as a member State in the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990 (OPRC) and as a signatory to the Sulu-Sulawesi Oil Spill Network Plan, 1981.