When the Philippine Coast Guard separated from the Philippine Navy in 1998, its initial Corps of Officers is composed of men and women with multifarious backgrounds and areas of expertise. In order to cope with the personnel and material growth of the organization, the PCG started its own Officer procurement and Enlisted Personnel recruitment in 2000. The Coast Guard Education and Training Command served the purpose of providing the basic training and education needs of the new Officers and Enlisted Personnel. They were also cross-trained with other maritime training institutions to further enhance their knowledge and skills, thus allowing them to cope with the ever-developing standardization requirements of the maritime industry.
Yet, the continuous growth of local and international shipping - the PCG's main clientele - demands that the organization further grow and expand in terms of men and materiel. Thus, in its amended 15-Year Development Program, the PCG intends to reach a troop ceiling of 25,000 Officers and Enlisted Personnel by year 2020.
Giving emphasis to the critical role of Officers in steering the helm of leadership of the organization as envisioned by SECRETARY LEANDRO R MENDOZA, the Secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communications recently gave the impetus for the creation of a Philippine Coast Guard Academy and for such to be established within 5 years after its conception. The Philippine Coast Guard Academy is envisioned to become the source of Coast Guard Officers who will then help steer the organization to the next generation and beyond.
Having been granted the imprimatur, ADMIRAL WILFREDO D TAMAYO PCG Commandant, PCG sought the assistance of RADM FIDEL E DINOSO, President of the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy which is the country's premier maritime training institution. With the proposed Memorandum of Understanding between PCG and PMMA, the latter agreed to accommodate 70 PCG Cadets annually for the next 2 years to join their Baccalaureate programs in Marine Transportation and Marine Engineering. This arrangement was reached considering the necessary infrastructure, facility, faculty and support systems for the envisioned PCG Academy are being set up and organized. With this arrangement, the PCG shall pay the PMMA the full scholarship fee for each PCG Cadet trained by the PMMA.
Meanwhile, PCG Cadets who will be joining the PMMA Cadetship program shall benefit from the IMO-standard training facilities of the PMMA. The PCG is thus, assured of professional competence upon their completion of their courses and upon their eventual entry into the PCG service. Study shows that the establishment of the PCG Academy could be patterned after the United States Coast Guard Academy. This, because of the similarities with the culture, curriculum and the capabilities of the graduates to serve in the Coast Guard, as well as, practice their profession as merchant mariners.
source: http://www.coastguard.gov.ph
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