An Auxiliary divers purpose By LCdr Vanessa Garon PCGA
The Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary is very proud to have an officer like Capt Matthew Caldwell, of the 116th squadron. Having been introduced to the PCGA back in 2004, it did not take him long to find his pivotal role in this volunteer organization.
In February of 2004, the Super Ferry 14 passenger ferry caught fire and sank off the shores of Bataan. The PCG was the first to respond and they made a call for volunteer divers to inspect the wreck. The 116th PCGA squadron was asked to provide divers and the first 2 civilian divers responded, myself and then LCdr Caldwell.
We dove the shallow wreck as the ship was still burning. Personal belongings were scattered on the ocean floor and paint was peeling off the sides of the ship as it burned from the inside. LCdr Caldwell spotted several small cylinders and suspected that the fire must have been caused by a bomb or some sort of explosion. It was later reported that the sinking was a terrorist attack and an Islamic separatist group claimed responsibility. About 116 lives were lost and many bodies were trapped inside the vessel. Several years later... read whole article
Latest News
PCGA Diver finds 12 bodies in Philippine ferry wreckage MANILA, Philippines – A coast guard auxiliary diver found at least 12 bodies, including two toddlers, inside the wreckage of a wooden-hulled ferry that sank near Manila on Christmas Eve, officials said Monday. more...
505th Squadron Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary joins the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network PUERTO GALERA - Members of the 505th Squadron Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA) recently completed first responder training for stranded whales and dolphins. The course was conducted by members of the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network (PMMSN), at Ocean Adventure in Subic Bay. more...
PCGA, In the midst of Tragedy... Typhoon ONDOY With the massive devastation brought about by Typhoon Ondoy in the morning of September 26, 2009, hundreds of Manileņos were displaced, lives lost, material possessions vanished. In a blink of an eye, our busy lives were put to a halt, facing an unknown tomorrow.
Typhoon Ondoy, whose international code name is “Ketsana”, dumped 334 millimeters of rain in the first 6 hours which is double compared to the previous record of 341 millimeters over a 24 hour period, 42 years ago. The recent typhoon is the highest ever recorded rainfall in the Metropolis. more...
International Affairs
Coast Guard Annual Conference, New Zealand. Was held last September 25 - 27, 2009. more...
USCGA NACON held last August 27 - 29 in Oak Brook, Chicago, Illinois. NACON 2009’s theme was Leadership, Performance, and Readiness. The program featured very interesting workshops, and training lectures that addresses many aspects of life as a Coast Guard Auxiliarist. But there was fun to be had as well! more...
Recent Asia Pacific Conference on Maritime Safety and Environmental Concerns concluded. more...
With the massive devastation brought about by Typhoon Ondoy in the morning of September 26, 2009, hundreds of Manileņos were displaced, lives lost, material possessions vanished. In a blink of an eye, our busy lives were put to a halt, facing an unknown tomorrow. 