Pseudo Name: Skipper

"Guardian of the Seas: Ensuring National Sovereignty, Security, and Stability"

The sea has long been an important part of human history. It has served as a source of
food, a means of transportation, and a link between different civilizations. In modern
times, the sea has become even more crucial for nations, playing a key role in
international trade, commerce, and defense. As such, ensuring National Sovereignty,
security, and stability in the seas has become critical for every country. The ability to
control maritime boundaries, protect against maritime threats, and ensure the safe
passage of goods and people through sea lanes is essential for our country’s well-being.
Thus, the Navy has emerged as the primary agency that provides such guardianship,
ensuring to assert authority over both territorial and international waters while also
maintaining regional and global stability.

At the heart of this effort, lies the ability to carry out maritime surveillance and strategic
patrols, which helps detect and deter any potential threats for any maritime interests. For
example, the monitoring of the territorial waters using radar, sonar, and satellite
technologies, which enable us to detect suspicious activities such as piracy and illegal
fishing. This is important as it can prevent any loss of critical resources and prevent any
economic damage caused by such activities. Another important responsibility is to
safeguard the country’s economic interests at sea. This includes protecting vessels
transporting goods to and from a country's ports, ensuring the safety of offshore oil drilling
rigs, and combating piracy. In addition, the Navy may be called on to respond to natural
disasters or humanitarian crises in the maritime environment.

The Philippine Navy plays a crucial role in defending the sovereignty and territorial
integrity of the Philippines. As an archipelagic nation, the Philippines has a vast maritime
domain, and the Philippine Navy is one of the responsible for protecting the country's
waters and ensuring the safety and security of its citizens. Our primary mission is to
maintain a credible defense posture, deter threats to national security, and conduct
maritime operations to protect the country's maritime interests. This ensures that the
country can assert its exclusive rights to marine resources within its territorial jurisdiction.
This includes safeguarding the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). For example,
in 2022 the Philippine Navy intercepted a Vietnamese fishing vessel that was illegally
fishing in the country's EEZ. The Navy arrested the crew and seized their catch, which
included endangered species of fish. Last 03 April 2023, we intercepted vessels carrying
undocumented fuel products in Sulu waters. In addition, we have been actively patrolling
and conducting maritime security operations within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in
response to increasing incursions by foreign vessels. We have been conducting regular
patrols in the West Philippine Sea, which is part of the country's EEZ and deployed ships
and aircraft to actively monitor Chinese vessels that were suspected of fishing illegally
and conducting survey activities in Philippine waters.

Beyond these, the Philippine Navy also serves to safeguard international trade routes
and prevent maritime disputes from escalating. For instance, in the contentious Spratly
Islands dispute in the South China Sea, patrols conducted by navies such as the
Philippine Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) have served to provide
stability and prevent the escalation of tensions between China and other claimants. In
such scenarios, navies can act as conflict mediators, promoting peaceful resolutions of
disputes within a rules-based international order.

In a world where issues such as piracy, drug trafficking, and maritime terrorism pose a
significant risk to global stability, it is important for us to work together to combat such
threats. The Navy plays a crucial role in developing and strengthening international
maritime partnerships. For instance, the joint military and patrol exercises conducted
between the Philippines and our partners such as the United States, Australia, France,
and Japan and other ASEAN Countries can help us to promote interoperability, capacity-
building, and regional and global stability. For example, the recent Philippines and United
States joint live fire drills at sea during the three-week event known as the BALIKATAN
or shoulder-to-shoulder exercises which aims to rehearse joint and combat tactic
techniques and procedures to execute maritime strikes conducted last April 2023 in San
Antonio Zambales.

In conclusion, the increasingly complex, interconnected, and rapidly changing maritime

environment, Navies have become critical to ensuring National Sovereignty, Security, and
stability. By fulfilling its role as a guardian of the seas, the Philippine Navy plays a crucial
part in protecting maritime boundaries, preventing conflicts from escalating, and fostering
global cooperation. Through investment in modern equipment, technological
advancements, and strong partnerships, we can continue to deliver on these objectives
and missions for prompt and sustained naval and maritime operations to accomplish the
AFP mission and for the vital interests of our beloved country.