The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has inaugurated the country’s first Coast Guard command center in Kalayaan Island, a move officials say strengthens the Philippines’ maritime presence and safeguards sovereignty in contested waters.
Transportation Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan led the activation ceremony on Thursday, marking the expansion of Coast Guard operations in strategically vital areas.
“Hindi ito isang simbolo lamang, ito ay isang permanenteng hakbang upang maipakita natin na handa ang ating coast guard na ipagtanggol ang ating interes sa dagat,” Lopez said.
“At ipagtanggol ang ating mga kababayang mangingisda, ang kanilang kabuhayan at higit sa lahat ang ating soberenya.”
Officials emphasized the risks faced by Coast Guard personnel tasked with protecting Filipino fishermen and enforcing maritime laws in the West Philippine Sea.
Lopez commended their dedication, saying:
“Ang inyong tapat na dedikasyon ang pundasyon ng ating seguridad sa ating karagatan at ang inyong presensya po ang nagpapatunay na paninindigan po natin ang ating pangako na kailanma’y ipaglalaban natin ang soberanya ng Pilipinas.”
The newly activated facility upgrades the existing unit into a full-fledged Coast Guard district, capable of deploying vessels, aircraft, and specialized personnel. It is also designed to support the delivery of national government services to residents of Kalayaan municipality.
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, said the development signals the start of further infrastructure expansion across the Kalayaan Island Group.
“These include installation upgrades and the construction of additional buildings on other occupied maritime features within the Kalayaan Island Group,” Tarriela noted in a social media post.