MANILA, Philippines — Vice Admiral Rommel Supangan has officially stepped into his new role as the commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), succeeding Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan following his retirement.
The appointment was made public by Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro during a Palace briefing on Monday, October 19, just hours before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. presided over Gavan’s retirement ceremony that same afternoon.
”Ngayong araw itinalaga ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. si incoming PCG commandant Vice Admiral Rommel A. Supangan,” Castro stated during the briefing.
Prior to his new assignment, Supangan headed the Marine Environmental Protection Command.
A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy “Marilag” Class of 1995, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Naval System Engineering and earned a Master of Science in Maritime Affairs—specializing in Marine Environment and Ocean Management—from the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden, as a Nippon Foundation Sasakawa Fellow.
Throughout his career, Supangan has held numerous leadership roles within the PCG, such as commander of the Coast Guard Fleet, director of the Coast Guard Strategic Studies and International Affairs Center, commander of the Coast Guard Human Resource Management Command, and commander of Coast Guard District Palawan.
He also served as acting commander of Coast Guard District NCR–Central Luzon and deputy commander of the Maritime Safety Services Command.
In addition to holding the Coast Guard Command-at-Sea Badge, Supangan brings extensive operational experience to the position, having previously commanded five commissioned PCG vessels as well as two ships belonging to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).