ReCAAP ISC And Philippine Coast Guard Strengthen Cooperation Against Piracy And Sea Robbery

The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC), with the support of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), co-organised a five-day Capacity Building Senior Officers’ Meeting (CBSOM) in Manila, Philippines from 22 to 26 June 2026. Senior officers of maritime law enforcement and regulatory agencies from 15 ReCAAP Focal Points(Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Laos, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Kingdom, Vietnam), as well as the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and Indonesian Marine and Air Police, attended the meeting. Representatives from the Philippine Ports Authority and ship management companies also joined the meeting.

Participants discussed port security and shipboard measures to mitigate piracy, sea robbery and other maritime crimes. Other topics which were presented and discussed include:

• Cooperative mechanisms between states for joint patrols and enforcement
• Best practices and templates for reporting incidents of armed robbery against ships
• Adopting international frameworks and reforming domestic laws for effective prosecution and deterrence of criminals

As part of the CBSOM programme, participants visited the National Maritime Center, which is spearheading Philippines’ efforts to enhance information sharing and maritime domain awareness, and the coordination of whole of government responses to maritime incidents.

Participants also toured the PCG vessel, BRP Teresa Magbanua, and learned about PCG’s operational capabilities and law enforcement procedures.

Ms Wan Fei Fei, Deputy Director of the ReCAAP ISC, said, “An integrated multiagency approach anchored in strong legal frameworks, as well as good cooperation between the shipping industry and law enforcement agencies, will ensure an effective and unified response to combating piracy and armed robbery against ships.

The CBSOM has enabled officers from ReCAAP Focal Points to come together to discuss current maritime security threats, and to strengthen trust to tackle transnational maritime crimes. I would like to thank the Philippine Coast Guard for helping to organise this important capacity building event.”

Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard and Chairperson of the ReCAAP ISC Governing Council, said, “Over the years, ReCAAP ISC has played a critical role in enhancing regional cooperation to combat armed robbery against ships through the sharing of verified incident reports and analytical insights.

As the ReCAAP Focal Point for the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard will continue to support the Centre’s capacity building activities, and play our part in strengthening regional collaboration against maritime crimes.”