Sink or Swim with Navy

By Jullie Yap Daza

Manila Bulletin, Tuesday, August 16, 2011

MANILA, Philippines — Repeat 110 times: “We are a maritime nation.”

Now you’re in the good graces of the Philippine Navy chief, Vice Admiral Alexander Pama. (It’s vice because his equivalent in the Army is a four-star, not five-star, general.)

When he had lunch at Sofitel with “Bulong Pulungan” last week, the Admiral was bent on getting his mantra across, that if you don’t buy it hook, line, and sinker, then “we will never have the strong and credible navy” that this maritime nation deserves.

The Navy serves 67 percent of the population who live in coastal areas, in a country with a coastline longer than the USA’s, where in the midst of a grouping of 7,107 islands is the center of the center of marine biodiversity and fishing is a major source of livelihood.

Our waters are a rich source of marine life, yet they are also the graveyard of thousands of boat passengers who have gone down to the bottom of the sea.

What a shame that our Navy has 66 ships and boats, of which only 33 are in ship-shape condition, alas. What can we islanders and the Admiral or his successors do but sink or swim with the Navy?

Coming soon, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, a $10-million, 30-year-old “new” Hamilton cutter, so “big and fast” she “can be deployed anywhere.” (More on Thursday)

www.mb.com.ph

Photo by Miguel De Guzman

Manila Times, Wednesday, August 10, 2011

A member of the 6th Marine battalion glances backward while his comrades stand at attention during their send-off ceremony at the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila on Tuesday. They are set to be deployed to the West Mindanao Command in Mindanao, replacing those killed in a recent clash with the Abu Sayyaf.

Off to Zamboanga

Photo by Ali Vicoy

Manila Bulletin, Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Members of the 6th Marine Battalion wave at the crowd after they boarded the BRP Dagupan LC551 following their send-off ceremony to Zamboanga, at the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila yesterday Aug.9, 2011. The soldiers will undergo training in Sulu.

www.mb.com.ph

Navy tossers advance

Manila Standard Today, Monday, August 15,2011

BIG SERVING Philippine Navy routered Air Force with its vaunted attacking game, cruising to a 25-18, 25-15,25-17 victory and joining San Sebastian in the quarterfinal round of the Shakey's V-League Open Conference at The arena in San Juan yesterday.

The Navy tossers unloaded 39 kills as against Air Force's 22 and scored 10 points off the serve to dominate the one-hour, 12-minute encounter and post their third straight win since dropping a four-setter to unbeaten Army in the league sponsored by Shakey's Pizza.

Former most valuable player Nerissa Bautista unleashed five power-packed serves and finished with 16 points, while Suzzane Roces, a former two-time MVP, had four service aces and wound up with 15 hits as the Navy ladies cut the Air Force side down to size in the absence of ace hitter Cherry Rose Macatangay.

Air Force tried to mount a rally in the third, winning four straight points to close within 16-21 but Bautista and Rose Prochina came through with a pair of hits and Navy held Air Force to just one point to wrap up the match.

"We cashed in our offense, which has so many variations and our defense also held up," said Roces, who bagged the Player of the Game award after finishing with 110 kills and one block.

Macatangay, who normed 14 hits in the first four games, sat out the game with a knee injury, but former UST star Aiza Maizo failed to draw solid support from the rest of the team, which took its third loss against two wins in the league backed by Accel, Mikasa and Maynilad Water.