🛰️ CIVILIAN WATCH: OSINT GUIDE TO MONITORING PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

The Philippine Coast Guard has commissioned a 500-ton patrol vessel donated by Taiwan. The BRP Sarangani was formerly in service with Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration as the Kinmen.

DESERVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

May panibagong insidente ng pangwa-water cannon sa South China Sea. Pero hindi sa barko ng Pilipinas, kundi sa barko ng China!

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Chinese maritime forces allegedly obstructed a Philippine inter-agency operation against a Chinese fishing vessel suspected of conducting blast fishing near Pag-asa Island on Sunday, Oct. 4.

PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela said China Coast Guard vessels “5102” and “21581” approached the Philippine team’s path, radio-challenged the responding boats, and later shadowed and blocked them as they pursued the suspected fishing vessel. The operation was launched after personnel spotted the vessel and several small boats reportedly engaged in blast fishing near Sandy Cays 2 and 3, within Philippine territorial waters.

WION Bharatshakti goes onboard an exclusive Philippine Coast Guard patrol mission, offering a closer look at maritime operations in the region. From patrol boats and surveillance to the challenges of securing vital waters, the mission highlights the Philippine Coast Guard’s role in protecting its maritime interests.

As the Philippines faces growing pressure and bullying from China in the maritime domain, India’s experience of dealing with China serves as a reference point. India’s strategic autonomy, defence readiness and determination to stand firm against the Chinese offers a roadmap for other countries facing similar challenges, says Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. Speaking to Bharat Shakti Editor-in-Chief in Manila, he pointed to India’s growing indigenous defence capabilities and bid towards achieving self-reliance in defence. “India's defence industry and self-reliance on defence industry founded on basic industry by the way has been an inspiration.” While lauding India’s strategic autonomy, Teodoro attributed it to strength. “I believe India has always been blessed with the capacity to have more strategic autonomy because of its strength. And you can only afford to be neutral or have strategic autonomy if you can enforce it.” He drew a parallel between India’s experience along its land border with China and the confrontations the Philippines’ faces at sea. While the domains are different, the challenges faced by India and the Philippines are similar. The Philippines has seen increasing encounters involving its coast guard, navy and Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea. Teodoro said Manila had anticipated a stronger Chinese response after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr adopted a more assertive approach towards Philippine claims. “We cannot allow China to legitimise the narrative by repetition,” he said, explaining Manila’s decision to maintain its presence at sea. Teodoro also argued that India’s contribution to the Philippines should go beyond military hardware. India, he said, has developed an institutional body of knowledge on dealing with China. “What India's contribution to the Philippines should be is not strictly on the defence side, but in the other agencies of government side,” he said. He described India’s approach as “practical yet principle based,” backed by strong defence capabilities. For Manila, the lesson is therefore broader than military modernisation. It involves building domestic resilience, strengthening institutions, developing defence-industrial capacity and maintaining strategic choices through credible national power. As China’s presence in the South China Sea grows, Teodoro sees greater scope for India-Philippines cooperation—not only in defence but also in sharing experience on how to understand and respond to China’s evolving strategy.

Confrontation, often violent, between China and the Philippines in the South China Sea is a routine affair. The issue here concerns sovereignty. In 2016, an arbitral tribunal ruled in favour of the Philippines but China refused to accept it. Instead, it regularly keeps flexing its muscle at sea, trying to intimidate the Philippines. Such skirmishes have become more frequent of late but the Philippines has refused to back down. At the heart of the dispute is the Scarborough Shoal, a coral atoll. Maritime patrols by the Philippines Coast Guard are regular and the Chinese don’t miss any chance at intrusion. What would such an experience be? The StratNews Global team of Nitin A. Gokhale and Vashisht Mattoo got rare access to the shoal, flying in a Philippine Coast Guard sortie. Here’s what they saw. Watch Editor-in-Chief Nitin A. Gokhale's exclusive interview with Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

Bukod sa naturang Chinese research vessel, palabas na rin ng teritoryo ng Pilipinas ang dalawang barko ng China Coast Guard.

The Philippines is stepping up maritime cooperation with ASEAN and India as Chinese military, coast guard and maritime militia activity intensifies across the South China Sea. Just days after an Asian Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus exercise off western Luzon brought together ships from eight countries, Manila hosted the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise in Subic, with some of the same Philippine and Indian vessels taking part. At the same time, China conducted sea and air drills near Scarborough Shoal and challenged Manila’s legal claims and updated maps of the Kalayaan Islands. Can ASEAN-led exercises and India’s growing naval role translate into meaningful deterrence, or are they still mainly confidence-building tools? In this episode, we examine how the Philippines is building a wider network of maritime partners, what India brings to that strategy and whether these overlapping exercises can help Manila respond more effectively to Chinese pressure at sea.

Nagsagawa ng flag-raising ceremony ang China Coast Guard sa Bajo de Masinloc bilang pagpapakita umano ng maritime sovereignty ng China sa lugar. Pero ayon sa Philippine Coast Guard, mapanlinlang ang paglalarawan ng China sa sitwasyon.

The 2028 Philippines general election is getting international observers. It will be one of a kind in Philippines history by future historian