MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)’s number three is now its top seafarer.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista announced Thursday, October 19, the appointment of Vice Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan as the 30th commandant of the PCG.

Gavan’s new post was made official during the change of command ceremony at the PCG headquarters in Manila.

Gavan replaced Admiral Artemio Abu, who officially retired from service the same day. Abu was appointed commandant of the PCG in February 2022.

Speaking during the change of command ceremony, Bautista said he was confident Gavan would continue the work of his predecessor in implementing the “white hill approach” in securing the country’s maritime zones and exclusive economic zones.

Prior to his appointment as head of the PCG, Gavan was its Deputy Commandant for Administration. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. picked him out of a list of five candidates for the top PCG post.

According to the PCG, Gavan was key in the creation of the “Angels of the Sea,” an all-female radio operator team deployed to the West Philippines Sea, the flashpoint of tensions between China and the Philippines.

The PCG, in creating the program, hoped that hearing a woman’s voice would reduce tensions in the volatile waters. The radio operator course had once been exclusive for men.

The PCG is among the frontline units in the Philippines’ assertion of its rights and claims in the West Philippine Sea.

Gavan is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1993. – Rappler.com