Duterte taps Garcia as next Coast Guard commandant

October 22, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Vice Admiral Joel Garcia as the 28th commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard.

Capt. Armand Balilo, PCG spokesman, said Tuesday based on the “letter of appointment signed by the President last October 21, Vice Admiral Garcia is set to assume the position on Thursday, 24 October after Admiral Elson Hermogino finally vows out of the Coast Guard service.”

“The Command is very thankful to the President for choosing a visionary leader who cares for the welfare of his subordinates and is passionate in accomplishing the PCG’s mandates,” Balilo said.

Balilo said Garcia, the executive director of the National Coast Watch Center (NCWC), under the Office of the President; and the shairperson of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Governing Council, based in Singapore is a graduate of the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy and a license master mariner.

“He earned his Masters of Science degree in Maritime Safety Administration from the World Maritime University (WMU) in Malmo, Sweden and Masters in Shipping Management from the Philippine Merchant Academy (PMMA),” he said.

 Garcia earned a doctorate in Philosophy in Public Administration from Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology and conferred an honorary doctorate in humanities by the Sulu State College for humanitarian services.

Garcia is a professor, teaching in Maritime Administration and Environmental Economics subjects in the PMMA Graduate School, said Balilo. 

Garcia served as the chairman of the Committee on Islamic Religious Studies and a member of the Technical Panels in Humanities and Maritime Education respectively, of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) from 2003-2010, he added.

Balilo said prior his appointment, Garcia commanded capital ships from the Navy and the Coast Guard, held key positions at the headquarters and likewise led four Coast Guard districts, two functional commands and two major support commands.

He said the PCG is also grateful for Hermogino “for he steered the organization in achieving great feats towards the advancement of the Command.” Robina Asido/DMS