June 9th, 2025
During a joint hearing of the House Committees on Ways and Means and on Transportation, House tax panel chairman Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda called on his colleagues to adopt the Senate version of the Revised Philippine Coast Guard Law (Senate Bill No. 2903). Salceda said that time is running out and warned that failing to act swiftly would mean restarting the legislative process next Congress.
“Wala na pong oras kung idadaan pa natin ito sa tadtaran. There is a Second Reading version that the Senate is probably adopting today. If we go through the usual House process, this is dead. Because it will have to abide by the three-day rule for approval,” Salceda told the panel. “So, I deputize Vice Chair Eleazar Madrona to concur to the Senate version as far as the Ways and Means Committee is concerned.”
He added, “Ayusin na lang natin sa susunod. But let’s get this done now. Since we are adjourning probably on Wednesday, if we decide not to concur, that means we start over next Congress.”
The Senate version strengthens the Philippine Coast Guard by aligning its command structure, ranks, and benefits with those of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It commits one billion pesos annually for five years for modernization, expands authority over maritime law enforcement and environmental protection, and allows lateral entry for technical specialists.
Affirmation from the PCG
Salceda asked Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan whether the PCG supports the Senate version. Gavan responded in the affirmative, affirming the agency’s readiness to implement the measure once passed.
“This is a practical bill that makes the Coast Guard more capable without fiscal waste. It is a tool for maritime law enforcement, a civil defense force, and a revenue protector. It pays for itself,” Salceda explained.
Maritime Sovereignty and National Framing
Salceda warned that continued delay would have implications for national sovereignty. “Most incursions in our exclusive economic zone are not by warships. They are by the Chinese Coast Guard. That is not accidental. That is how they project administrative control without calling it an act of war.”
“If we cannot match them with a credible Coast Guard, we surrender the framing. We allow them to normalize their presence. We cannot advocate a rules-based maritime order if we cannot enforce rules in our own waters,” he said.
Climate, Disaster, and Civil Defense Mandate
Salceda also reminded the committee of the PCG’s role in civil defense. “The Coast Guard handles typhoons, evacuations, oil spills, and sea-based rescue operations. With climate change worsening, those roles are more important than ever.”
He cited the creation of the Philippine Coast Guard Academy in Bacacay, Albay as a vital institutional investment. “We secured one point two billion pesos for the Academy. It will be the seedbed of future maritime leadership and will help us build a deeper bench of professionals.”
Fiscal Enforcement and Revenue Protection
Salceda emphasized the Coast Guard’s emerging role in protecting public revenue. “An estimated eight hundred sixty-four billion pesos in trade bypasses Customs oversight each year. That involves smuggling through private ports and informal coastal landings. The Coast Guard is in the best position to interdict these leakages.”
“This is a revenue enforcement agency. Strengthening the PCG strengthens the tax base. It improves surveillance and closes high-leakage corridors. That is better tax effort without new taxes,” Salceda added.
ODA Programming for Maritime Security
Salceda also appealed to the executive branch to prioritize the Coast Guard in official development assistance programming. “I urge the Department of Finance and the National Economic and Development Authority to include the PCG in the ODA pipeline, especially for coastal defense and civil defense equipment.”
“We are good at getting ODA for land infrastructure. But the sea is more than eighty percent of our territory. Coastal defense should be part of our core national infrastructure strategy,” Salceda said.
Call to Finish What Was Started
Salceda reminded the panel that he had funded the Coast Guard’s transition into a uniformed service in 2007 when he chaired the Appropriations Committee. “This bill gives that transition its full expression. It provides the structure, the mandate, and the resources.”
“We were once central to global maritime trade. We can be again. But we need a credible Coast Guard. Let us finish what we started.”
“This bill is a matter of national ambition. And a matter of very clear and present practical necessity. Let us get this done now,” Salceda concluded.