21 February 2023, CANBERRA - Ambassador Ma. Hellen B. De La Vega welcomed to the Philippine Embassy CDR Jonah Arugay, LCDR Valerie Lagua and CG LT Maritoni Saliendra from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on 17 February 2023, who will be participating in the inaugural Civil Maritime Security Program organized by the Australian Border Force (ABF).

Underscoring the timeliness of such endeavor in light of developments in the region, Ambassador De La Vega highlighted that the project implements a crucial action line under the Philippines-Australia Plan of Action 2021-2022 on enhancing civil maritime security cooperation through the exchange of technical expertise, capacity building and improving inter-agency coordination.

The three PCG Officers will be joining nine other participants from Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam in the six-week program which will include practical exercises on operational command, boarding, search and seizures as well as training on law of the sea and international maritime law. The cohort was accompanied by ABF Officers Ms. Courtney Ellis and Mr. Ben Finlay.

The Philippines and Australia, as maritime nations in the Pacific, share a long history of partnership on defense and security and have continued to enhance maritime cooperation over the years through mutual exchange, education and training. Both countries are committed to uphold the rules-based order anchored on international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for regional peace, security and stability. -END-