India–Philippines Coast Guards deepen maritime cooperation at first bilateral meet

Senior officials from both sides reviewed ongoing cooperative initiatives, including recent ship visits, operational exchanges, and capability-building programs.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) successfully held their first Annual Bilateral Meeting in Manila, Philippines, on December 02, 2025. The meeting was conducted under the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two nations on August 22, 2023, marking a significant milestone in strengthening maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

Senior officials from both sides reviewed ongoing cooperative initiatives, including recent ship visits, operational exchanges, and capability-building programs. The discussions also covered progress made in earlier training exercises, joint seminars, and coordinated maritime activities.

Strengthening Maritime Security and Regional Stability

The engagement is seen as a strong reflection of India’s Act East Policy and aligns with broader regional maritime strategies such as Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). These frameworks seek to promote peace, open sea lanes, and a rules-based maritime order across the Indo-Pacific.

The meeting focused on deepening cooperation in key operational areas, including:

• Maritime search and rescue

• Joint maritime law enforcement

• Environmental protection and marine pollution response

• Capacity-building training and technology exchange

Both sides also discussed developing standard operating procedures for future coordinated patrols, information-sharing mechanisms and the integration of digital maritime surveillance platforms.

Senior Officials Lead Deliberations

The meeting was co-chaired by Additional Director General Donny Michael, Commander (Eastern Seaboard) of the Indian Coast Guard, and Vice Admiral Edgar L. Ybanez, Deputy Commandant for Operations of the Philippine Coast Guard.

Both leaders highlighted the growing importance of the India-Philippines maritime partnership amid evolving security dynamics in the region. They stressed continued coordination to strengthen interoperability between crews, systems, and command structures.

Commitment to Long-Term Partnership

Both delegations reaffirmed their commitment to sustain annual bilateral meetings, expand training and capacity-building programs, and increase ship-to-ship engagements. They agreed that such initiatives not only improve preparedness during emergencies but also enhance mutual trust and operational synergy between the two maritime forces.

The bilateral meeting concluded with a shared vision to advance maritime security, safety, humanitarian response, and environmental protection — supporting a free, open, inclusive, and stable Indo-Pacific.