09/10/2026
As part of his series of farewell visits prior to his retirement, Rear Admiral Roben N De Guzman PCG, Commander of the Coast Guard Civil Relations Service (CGCRS), paid a visit to the Marine Environmental Protection Command (MEPCOM), headed by Vice Admiral Rommel A Supangan PCG, on October 2, 2026. During the visit held at Bayview Park Hotel in Manila, Rear Admiral De Guzman served as the Guest of Honor and Speaker (GOHAS) for the Closing Ceremony of the Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) Level 1 First Responder Training Class 10-2026. On this occasion, he was also awarded the prestigious MEP Eligibility (Executive) Badge, conferred upon senior officers who have held key leadership roles in Marine Environmental Protection.
In his address to the graduates, Rear Admiral De Guzman emphasized that operational readiness begins well before an incident occurs, highlighting that training transforms personnel into effective frontline guardians. Reaffirming the standard of baseline mastery, he stated: βWe cannot have merely 'warm bodies' on the frontlines; we must transform our personnel into knowledgeable specialists who serve as a vital link of safety and trust with the communities we protect.β He further urged the participants to stand secure on competence, standards, and character so that emergency decision-making in high-stress environments becomes automatic, precise, and faultless.
The recognition highlights Rear Admiral De Guzmanβs distinguished career spanning over 35 years of dedicated public service, which includes serving as Deputy Chief of Coast Guard Staff for Marine Environmental Protection, CG-9. Under this designation, he formulated core policies for marine environment protection and led the drafting of five distinct Memorandum Circulars approved by the Department of Transportation. His key accomplishments in CG-9 also include establishing the first MEP Computerized Information System (MEPCIS), initiating the first revision of the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NOSCOP), leading the Asian Coast Guard Agencies' Workshop on Best Practices on Oil Spill Preparedness and Response, and securing the IMO designation of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park as the 15th Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) globally.
Furthermore, during his tenure as Director of the National Operation Center for Oil Pollution (NOCOP), he directed national oil spill preparedness and response operations across Philippine waters. Among his landmark achievements in NOCOP were the activation of the country's first National Strike Team (NST) on Oil Pollution Response and the implementation of the first regulatory approach and study on alternative open-water dumping sites under the London Dumping Convention. These milestone contributions reflect his enduring commitment to protecting the nation's marine environment and sustaining the operational readiness of the Philippine Coast Guard.
