A Chinese coast guard ship is seen in the background during joint search and rescue exercises between Philippine and US coast guards near Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea on May 14.

WEST PHILIPPINE SEA – Two Chinese Coast Guard maritime surveillance ships that have been shadowing a visiting US Coast Guard (USCG) cutter crossed into Philippine waters on Tuesday near Subic Bay.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) search and rescue vessel BRP Batangas and escort vessel BRP Kalanggaman tracked the two Chinese vessels around 50 nautical miles from the nearest coastline of Zambales since early morning the other day.

USCG cutter Bertholf has been deployed to the Indo-Pacific and is under the operational control of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet.

BRP Batangas under the command of Commander Gary Dale Gimotea and BRP Kalanggaman had been dispatched to the West Philippines Sea to meet Bertholf under the command of Capt. John Driscoll for the launch of a joint point maritime search and rescue drill between Panatag Shoal and Subic
Bay.

The Chinese ships with bow numbers 46303 and 46302 did not alter their position at four and six nautical miles away from the PCG and US vessels.

“We are not really concerned. Whatever they’re doing, it’s not our concern as long as we do our own mandate in accordance with the law,” Gimotea said.

Gimotea pointed out that almost all coast guards worldwide aim to maintain maritime security and safety as well as enforce environmental protection.

“The joint maritime rescue drill was aimed at further enhancing the Philippine and US coast guards maritime law enforcement and maritime security (operations) as well as developing a working harmony involving mutual interests of both countries,” he said.

Gimotea said he could only assume that the Chinese vessels were around to monitor the bilateral search and rescue drill of the Philippines and the US.

It could not be immediately determined if the Chinese vessels came from Panatag Shoal or from their base at Woody Island in the Paracels.

“Our oath (is) to protect our coastal waters and if it is legal and it is to the best interests of the Philippine Republic,” Gimotea told local and foreign journalists on board BRP Batangas.

Bertholf arrived in Manila yesterday for the first visit by a US cutter in more than seven years.

Security, counterterrorism

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations concluded this year’s ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Maritime Security Field Training Exercise 2019 (ADMM-Plus MARSEC FTX) in Singapore.

A total of 19 warships, 10 aircraft and over 1,500 personnel participated in the exercise off the waters of Busan, South Korea and Eastern Singapore from April 29 to May 13.

The second part of the ADMM-Plus MARSEC FTX took place with the Singapore Navy as co-host, during which an exercise on information sharing to track vessels of interest was conducted along with cross deck landings and replenishment at sea drills.

Australia, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam joined the second part of the exercise where a photo exercise culminated the activity.

“This year’s exercise continues with the same aim of focusing on practical cooperation and build up trust and confidence within the ADMM plus navies,” said Singaporean Chief of Defense Force, Lt. Gen. Melvyn Ong.

The Philippine Navy (PN), while in Singapore, is expected to participate in other activities such as the Maritime Information Sharing Exercise, which coincides with the 10th anniversary commemoration of the Information Fusion Center and the International Maritime Defense Exhibition.

PN contingent commander Capt. Roy Vincent Trinidad said the Navy’s participation manifests its commitment to promoting multilateral cooperation in a multinational environment for peace and stability among ASEAN and other regional navies.

Source: philstar.com

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Employees of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority welcome the Italian-flag MV Costa Atlantica that carries some 2,500 Chinese tourists. Photo by Joanna Rose Aglibot

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — An Italian-flag cruise ship carrying mostly Chinese tourists arrived in this free port on Thursday.

MV Costa Atlantica docked at the Alava Wharf here at 6:15 a.m. This is the 12th visit of the cruise ship to Subic Bay.

It carries around 2,500 Chinese passengers scheduled to visit tourist destinations here and nearby provinces.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) employees welcomed the foreign passengers of the Spirit-class cruise ship, which has been visiting the free port in the last few months.

It will stay in the free port for a day, SBMA officials said.

Source: globalnation.inquirer.net

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SWIFT HANDLING. The new empty container handlers can quickly stack containers up to sixty feet high, lift nine metric tons and save container yard space. (Photo courtesy of Kalmar)

MANILA — The Subic Bay International Terminal Corporation (SBITC) has procured two new container handlers from international cargo handling firm Kalmar to further improve port operations in the Subic Freeport Zone this year.

The Kalmar empty container handlers will be utilized for the Subic port’s container depot that will serve the transport of cargo goods in the region.

“Our new containers are part of this year’s port improvement plan and will be used in our empty container depot. In fact, our terminal has increased its mobile stacker fleet by 100% compared to January this year,” the SBITC management said in a statement on Wednesday.

The two new container handlers are expected to be operational by June while other equipment are set to arrive within the year.

“We’re looking forward to the arrival of more cranes later this year to complete our 2019 port improvement plan. We will continue to invest in improving our facilities as a world-class freeport for the benefit of our locators and port users,” the port operator stated.

Empty container handlers are specialized forklifts designed to efficiently stack empty containers and handle fully loaded containers in the Freeport.

Each handler has a lifting capacity of 9 metric tons and can stack empty containers up to 60 feet high, which is essential for port operators to fully maximize space to load and unload containers.

The SBITC is the container port operator of the Subic Freeport Area in Subic, Zambales, and serves the industries in Northern and Central Luzon.

Source: pna.gov.ph

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Photo Credit: Kori Quintos Twitter Page

MAY 15, 2019 — Several drums of oil from a Tanzanian-registered vessel spilled in the waters off Zambales last week due to bad weather.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the vessel was forced to dock in Barangay Bangan, Botolan, Zambales on May 8 after water kept coming inside the ship’s part where drums of diesel were located.

The vessel, manned by a Chinese crew, was in the area while waiting for an approval to dredge the Bucao river.

Currently, the vessel is still grounded but the oil spill has been contained.

Residents however are still worried. They still are unable to fish as their catch reeks of oil.

The DENR, along with the Coast Guard, is set to inspect the vessel tomorrow.

The target is to move the vessel out by tomorrow afternoon.

Source: news.tv5.com.ph

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In this photo, members of Task Force Baklas take down campaign tarpaulins and posters illegally posted along San Andres Street in Malate, Manila. (The STAR/Edd Gumban)

An environmental group called for electoral candidates to upcycle their campaign paraphernalia like tarpaulins into different materials instead of throwing or burning them after the midterm elections.

EcoWaste Coalition shared pictures of tarpaulins that they have creatively reused such as shopping bags, string bags, pencil cases, shoe bags and school supplies, among others.

All of them were made from tarpaulins and other campaign paraphernalia that was left in the streets after the campaigning season.

Some members of the group held out cards bearing phrases such as “Huwag sunugin” and “Think before you throw.”

An environmental group called for electoral candidates to upcycle their campaign paraphernalia like tarpaulins into different materials instead of throwing or burning them after the midterm elections.

EcoWaste Coalition shared pictures of tarpaulins that they have creatively reused such as shopping bags, string bags, pencil cases, shoe bags and school supplies, among others.

All of them were made from tarpaulins and other campaign paraphernalia that was left in the streets after the campaigning season.

Some members of the group held out cards bearing phrases such as “Huwag sunugin” and “Think before you throw.”

Thony Dizon, the group’s chemical safety campaigner, appealed for the Filipinos to refrain from burning the paraphernalia or letting them liter the street.

“Nakikiusap kami na huwag sunugin ang campaign materials, at huwag din ikalat,” he said in an interview with a local reporter.

Some tarpaulins that were upcycled into different kinds of bags and other materials bore the faces of Makati Mayor Abby Binay, senatorial aspirant Imee Marcos, Taguig mayoral aspirant Lino Cayetano and former senator JV Ejercito.

A particular bean bag, for instance, was upcycled using 20 kilos of plastic tarpaulins, according to the group.

The group also suggested that paper-based paraphernalia can be upcycled as folders, memo pads, envelopes and bookmarks.

Upcycling is when the material is reused “without degrading the quality and composition” of its value for the next usage, according to a sustainability-centered blog.

Earlier this year, EcoWaste warned electoral candidates to moderate their use of plastic tarpaulins as these may contain toxic chemicals that could possibly “leach and contaminate the surroundings.”

“The mass production of tarpaulin banners and posters for the midterm election campaign will surely add to the plastic pollution that our country is wrestling with,” Thony Dizon said in an interview.

‘It’s not a simple solid waste issue as these popular campaign materials are laden with toxic chemicals such as cadmium that may negatively impact on our people’s health and the environment,” he added.

How tarps can be dangerous

Tarpaulins are mostly made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic that may have toxic chemicals containing cadmium, lead and phthalates.

In fact, it has been referred to as “the poison plastic” by Greenpeace, an international environmental organization.

It is commonly known as vinyl and it is one of the most commonly used types of plastic since it is highly versatile and relatively inexpensive, according to Greenpeace.

When PVC plastics are burned, they release chemicals extremely hazardous to the environment such as dioxin. It is considered one of the most toxic chemicals ever produced.

“Dioxins are among the persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, that are targeted for global minimization, if not elimination, under the Stockholm Convention on POPs, an international treaty of which the Philippines is a state party,” EcoWaste said in a report.

World Health Organization noted that being exposed to dioxins in the short-term can lead to skin lesions like chloracne and patchy darkening of the skin. It can also change how the liver functions.

Long-term exposure, meanwhile, leads to drastic impairment of the human immune, nervous and endocrine system. It can also negatively affect reproductive functions as well.

Source: interaksyon.com

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