Category: The West Philippine Sea CATCH

The West Philippine Sea CATCH Season 3: Episode 3: “How to Light Up the Gray Zone in the West Philippine Sea” (Saturday, February 11, 2023)

About the guest speaker:
Col. Raymond Powell concluded a 35-year career in the United States Air Force in November 2021. After enlisting in 1986 he was trained as a Vietnamese linguist, then served tours in the Philippines and Hawaii before receiving his commission in 1993 through Officer Training School. He went on to serve in various operations management and cyber communications roles.

He commanded the Air Force Honor Guard in Washington DC from 2009 to 2011, then entered training to become a foreign area officer. He served as the Air Attaché to Vietnam from 2013 to 2016, and the Senior Defense Official/Defense Attaché to Australia from 2017 to 2020. His other assignments have included Japan, Germany, two tours in Qatar and three in the Pentagon. He also deployed to combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Wayland Baptist University in 1992 and his master’s from Central Michigan University in 1999. He is a 2021 Fellow at the Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford University.

In this episode, Col. Powell gives us insight on the gray zone strategy that the China is using.

Watch it here:

The West Philippine Sea CATCH Season 3: Episode 2: “The Malampaya Gas Field in the West Philippine Sea: Updates and Developments” (Thursday, February 9, 2023)

About the guest speaker:
Usec. Eduardo V. Mañalac is a Former Undersecretary of the Department of Energy, Republic of the Philippines. He is an exploration geologist and Petroleum company executive and with thirty five years experience in national and international petroleum exploration and production management, acreage acquisition, government sharing contracts, and other joint venture negotiations.

He was appointed as President and CEO of the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) on August, 30, 2004, President and CEO of the PNOC Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) in September, 2004, and subsequently Chairman of the PNOC Energy Development Corporation (PNOC-EDC) within the same time period. In these capacities, he succeeded in initiating new local exploration efforts, raising the national oil company’s competitive edge, ensuring the viability of local investment, renewing foreign interest in local oil exploration and development, and reestablishing PNOC and the country’s credibility in both the local and global oil industries.

His professional career spans thirty five years of experience (28 of those with the U.S. based Phillips Petroleum company now ConocoPhillips) in international petroleum exploration and production management, acreage acquisition, production sharing contracts, and other joint venture negotiations.

He attended the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Q.C. Philippines where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology in 1967, and where he completed post-Graduate studies in petroleum geology through 1969.

In this episode Usec. Eduardo V. Mañalac gives us the updates and development on the Malampaya Gas Field issue.

Watch it here:

The West Philippine Sea CATCH Season 3: Episode 1: “The Scarborough Shoal Fishermen: Heroes, Guardians and Protectors of the West Philippine Sea” (Saturday, February 4, 2023)

About the guest speaker:
Meet the Scarborough Shoal Fishermen of Masinloc, Zambales, Philippines, the heroes, guardians and protectors of our West Philippine Sea, and learn more about their their livelihood, challenges and the harassment they encounter in the West Philippine Sea.

In this episode we talked to the fishermen of Masinloc, Zambales about their experiences and hardships.

Watch it here: