DFA Assistant Secretary Ponce and ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre Head Natarajan Plan Cooperation on Maritime Safety

Assistant Secretary Ponce (left) receives a token from Executive Director Natarajan (right) at the ReCAAP- ISC in Singapore. (Photo from ReCAAP-ISC)

SINGAPORE, 21 November 2022 – Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Maria Angela A. Ponce met with Executive Director Krishnaswamy Natarajan of the Regional Cooperation Agreement in Combating Piracy Against Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre on 18 November 2022 to discuss strengthening of cooperation between the Philippines and ReCAAP-ISC.

The ReCAAP is the first regional government-to-government agreement to combat piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. 

Assistant Secretary Ponce and Executive Director Natarajan exchanged views on the maritime safety and security situation in Asia, and discussed the Philippines’ contributions as well as future avenues for further cooperation. 

Philippine Country Officer to ReCAAP-ISC, CDR Al-Hafidz T. Bih. provided a presentation of the ReCAAP and the Center as well as the role of ReCAAP ISC in addressing piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia. 

Assistant Secretary Ponce was accompanied by Director Maria Victoria Castro of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), First Secretary and Consul Joyleen E. Santos, Philippine Embassy in Singapore and Capt. Sherwin Respeto, PN, Philippine Defense and Armed Forces Attaché. Joining the Executive Director were Capt. Nicholas Teo, Deputy Director and Ms. Lee Yin Mui, Assistant Director for Research. 

Assistant Secretary Ponce also expressed that the Philippines looks forward to the participation of Executive Director Natarajan at the10th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum which will be held in the Philippines on 07 December 2022. END

From left to right: Capt Nicholas Teo, RSN (Ret), Deputy Director, ReCAAP-ISC; Capt. Sherwin Respeto, PN, Defense and Armed Forces Attache of the Philippines to Singapore; First Secretary and Consul Joyleen E. Santos; Director Maria Victoria Castro, DICT; Assistant Secretary Maria Angela A. Ponce, DFA-MOAO; Executive Director Krishnaswamy Natarajan, Executive Director, ReCAAP-ISC; Ms. Lee Yin Mui,  Assistant Director for Research, ReCAAP-ISC; and Cdr Al-Hafidz T. Bih, Philippine Country Officer, ReCAAP-ISC. (Photo from ReCAAP-ISC)