“Angels of the Sea”, voice of peace in WPS
By Nidz Godino
“Hearing a female voice on the other end of communication line could help defuse tension with foreign ships in West Philippine Sea,” Philippine Coast Guard officer on condition of anonymity said at least 81 PCG female radio operators have graduated from training school, with some to become part of crew patrolling West Philippine Sea.
“The PCG believes training female Coast Guard personnel as radio operators will be helpful in maintaining peace in contested waters of West Philippine Sea and this is one of the reasons the ‘Angels of the Sea’ was created,” he said.
The 81 graduates make up the first-ever all female radio operators called Angels of the Sea. They completed the radio operators’ course on June 25.
“The PCG recognizes the evolving unique importance of having female radio operators aboard Coast Guard vessels and shore-based units, especially in communicating with foreign ships, so as not to elevate tension,” the organization said in a statement.
The PCG said its Angels of the Sea is envisioned to become the voice of peace and rules-based order at sea, especially in the country’s sensitive maritime frontiers.
Some members of Angels of the Sea Class 01 – 2021 are assigned aboard patrol ships participating in PCG Task Force Pagsasanay that are on rotational training exercises in various Philippine maritime jurisdictions, including West Philippine Sea,.
In May, Provisional Ensign Gretch Mary Acuario, a lawyer and female PCG member, on board BRP Cabra issued radio challenge to seven Chinese vessels at the Sabina Shoal in West Philippine Sea. The Chinese ships reportedly dispersed afterward.
ISKUP! 