Philippine Coast Guard
| Philippine Coast Guard Tanod Baybayin ng Pilipinas |
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Coat of arms of the Philippine Coast Guard
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| Founded | October 10, 1967 |
| Country |
 Philippines |
| Type | Coast guard |
| Role | Maritime law enforcement, border control, search and rescue |
| Part of | Department of Transportation |
| Garrison/HQ | Port Area, Manila |
| Motto(s) | "Saving Lives" |
| Mascot(s) | Dolphin "Kapitan Dolpino" |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Commandant | Admiral Rodolfo D. Isorena |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) (Filipino: Tanod Baybayin ng Pilipinas) is an armed and uniformed service tasked primarily with enforcing laws within Philippine waters, conducting maritime security operations, safeguarding life and property at sea, and protecting marine environment and resources; similar to coast guards around the world.
It is an agency attached to the Department of Transportation of the Philippines. It currently maintains a presence throughout the archipelago, with twelve Coast Guard Districts, fifty-four CG Stations and over one hundred ninety Coast Guard Sub-Stations, from Basco, Batanes to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.
The Philippine Coast Guard is the oldest and only humanitarian armed service in the Philippines. Its beginnings could be traced back to the early 20th century when coast guarding was related to the protection of the customs services of the country and in patrolling the coastlines and harbors.
When the Americans came in 1898, one of the first steps that the military government undertook was the reopening of the port and customs facilities of Manila. Soon after, the civilian Insular Government, through the Philippine Commission, enacted a law on 17 October 1901 that created the Bureau of Coast Guard and Transportation, which was placed under the Department of Commerce and Police. The Captain of the Port was designated as Bureau Director.
The lighthouse service was placed under the Bureau. In 1902, the Coast Guard fleet of 15 streamers from China and Japan was established and were assigned for the lighthouse service inspection trips of top government officials, for transport to Culion Island, for patrolling against illegal entry of aliens, and for troop movement of the Philippine Constabulary.
The Bureau of Coast Guard and Transportation was abolished on 26 October 1905 and the Bureau of Navigation took over its functions. The Bureau of Navigation was authorized to create a commissioned and enlisted service, and to adopt its own manual of court martial patterned after the US Navy.
Subsequently, however, the Bureau was also abolished on 19 December 1913 and the organization and its functions were transferred to the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Public Works until the establishment of the Commonwealth Government. After gaining independence from the United States, the Philippine government ceded some of the coast guard functions, such as the revenue cutter and lighthouse services, to the Philippine Naval Patrol, which eventually became the Philippine Navy. A Coast Guard unit was activated within the Philippine Navy to implement these functions.
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Wikipedia