The Manila Times

Leading with integrity

BY YASHIKA F. TORIB

IT was a typical busy morning for the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) Maritime Safety Services Command (MSSC) in Sangley Point, Cavite. Halls were devoid of people, most of whom were occupied with their day’s tasks. I was led by an amiable female officer straight to the Flag Office, a hushed, practical space where most of the major and critical decisions of MSSC were made.

“Sir is still in a meeting, but he will be available in a few,” I was told kindly.

I was just starting to reflect on how this interview might turn out, as it is my first in-person interview since the 2020 pandemic, when the door leading to an inner office suddenly opened, revealing bright eyes and a brilliant smile that outdid the supposed dazzle of stars on his shoulders.

It was Rear Admiral (RAdm) Joseph Coyme, commander of the MSSC.

His mere presence filled the tidy and sensible office with a balance of geniality and authority, qualities that we later learned during the interview that define his person. The energy in his movements, the clever glint in his eyes and the precise way by which he recalled his story showed a man whose passion for his sworn duty goes beyond the plane of mere conformity.

RAdm Coyme was born for this. In his veins run the blood of soldiers from the Philippine Army, law enforcers from the Philippine National Police and merchant mariners from the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy. He was raised in the military camps of Zamboanga in a household that soon produced uniformed men from different branches of service, a fate that even when left in the hands of chance, still led him to the Philippine Coast Guard.

“It was funny. I originally wanted to join the Air Force as a strong influence from my ROTC days; I had no pilot eyes ... I had no depth of perception. When we were asked in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) as to which service we would choose to belong — I decided to draw lots with God,”the room filled with his ringing laughter.

“I let Him choose between the Army and the Navy. Twice, He chose the Army. Twice, I had that uncomfortable, nagging feeling that it ‘seemed’ wrong.”The two-star general realized that God showed him his path by revealing to him his true feelings toward the service.

Out of the 225 cadets from PMA’s Bantay Laya Class of 1994, he was among the 10 who got into the PCG, then under the auspices of the Philippine Navy.

Almost three decades of service in the PCG tested RAdm Coyme to the core.

An exercise of integrity put him in friction him with political powers in the southern regions of the country. A determination for hard, honest labor to increase the PCG’s workforce from a mere 4,000 to a target of 36,000 was met with obstinate resistance from colleagues.

Nonetheless, RAdm Coyme was seated at the heart of the PCG’s modernization. Behind all the accolades and fanfare were the brain and hands that significantly helped the organization improve its financial systems and the career path of its servicemen, and strengthen its workforce.

“I entered the PCG at a time of uncertainty and has since been part of its history. That, I would always be proud of. It was not always easy; there were so many challenges. But what keeps me going is that no matter what the PCG will be, the future generation of Coast Guardians will look back, see how we were before, and take pride in how we all steered it toward advancement,” he said.

Today, he is the man steering the helm of the country’s maritime safety.

Under his leadership, he has strengthened the diverse functions of the MSSC from aids to mavigation, port state control, vessel safety, navigational safety and recreational safety to the formation of an ad hoc group of maritime casualty investigation (MCI).

“From the original two weeks to more than a month, our MCIs can now produce reports in just two to three days since we have decentralized the task as well to maritime experts such as merchant mariners and chief engineers. Many of them are from our volunteer group, the PCG Auxiliary,” he said.

The job was never easy for the man. It was peppered with challenges and obstacles. But when asked what he loved most about it, the affable rear admiral simply said “work.”

He loved Coast Guarding work with all its trials and triumphs, devoting his days and nights to its improvement.

“I cannot be idle, as ships are not made for the safety of shores.” RAdm Coyme continued sharing snippets of his life through meals. Stories of a man who enjoys golf and singing. Stories that prove that behind all the titles, accomplishments and rank, he is, indeed, just another simple man.

MARITIME AND LOGISTICS

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2022-09-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-09-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/281981791448211

The Manila Times