The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will join its counterparts from Indonesia and Japan on this year's Regional Marine Pollution Exercise (Marpolex).

In a ceremony PCG Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu graced the send-off ceremony for the four vessels that will participate in the drill in the vicinity waters off Makassar, Indonesia from May 22 to 29.

“To the members of the Philippine contingent headed by Coast Guard Vice Admiral Rolando Lizor Punzalan, this send-off ceremony symbolized that the PCG leadership is fully committed to pursuing our mandates on marine environmental protection, and there is a need to invigorate our friendship with participating nations,” he said.

The four PCG vessels include its largest ship, BRP Teresa Magbanua, which will have its first deployment after being commissioned into the Coast Guard service on May 6.

Other PCG vessels that will be part of Marpolex 2022 are BRP Gabriela Silang, BRP Malapascua and BRP Cape Engaño.

Abu said the primary objective of the PCG in joining the drill is "to test and assess the oil response capability of the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of the Philippines and Japan, particularly during major oil spillage along the shorelines of said countries."

"To test current procedures of the oil spill recovery and response capability of Indonesia and Philippines with the participation of Japan Coast Guard and to seek further improvement and lastly to train and enhance capability in fire fighting rescue and oil spill recovery operations," he said.

"This is not only about recovery of oil but also to test the interoperability, communications ability between the assets of the Republic of Indonesia, Republic of the Philippines and also with that of Japan," said Abu.

"This exercise has a direct effect in our organization in matters of doctrine training capability development and strategies," he added. Robina Asido/DMS