US, PH in joint training to combat hazardous cargo trafficking

US, PH in joint training to combat hazardous cargo trafficking
May 5, 2025 https://portcalls.com/us-ph-in-joint-training-to-combat-hazardous-cargo-...

US and Philippine government officials recently attended a joint training to combat hazardous cargo trafficking. The maritime security workshop from March 24-28 in Manila focused on countering the maritime trafficking of hazardous chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials.

The workshop was hosted by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) through its International Counterproliferation Program. The initiative supports the Philippines’ growing interagency capability to detect and intercept illegal shipments of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) materials—components that could be weaponized for mass destruction (WMD).

The “Targeting and Risk Management Workshop” brought together 35 officers and specialists from 10 key Philippine government bodies, including the Department of Trade and Industry’s Strategic Trade Management Office, Department of Transportation’s Office for Transportation Security, Bureau of Customs, Philippine Ports Authority, Maritime Industry Authority, Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Navy, and Philippine National Police Maritime Group.

US and Filipino facilitators trained participants on advanced techniques for identifying suspicious maritime cargo, targeting high-risk vessels, and closing operational gaps across maritime domains. A key feature of the program was a “train-the-trainer” module designed to embed long-term capacity across agencies.

Jose Embang Jr., director of the CBRN office at the Philippine Anti-Terrorism Council Program Management Center (ATC-PMC), thanked the US government for its support in “helping the Philippines refine its tracking methods and response procedures for potentially hazardous unauthorized materials discovered at seaports.”

Nicholas DeDominici, chief of DTRA at the US Embassy in Manila, reaffirmed the strategic value of the partnership. “We value our longstanding partnership with ATC-PMC and their unwavering efforts to strengthen Philippine CBRN policy and legislation. We anticipate continued engagement with ATC-PMC, the National Maritime Center, and the Philippine interagency in support of initiatives that reinforce the ironclad commitment between our two countries.”

The workshop is part of DTRA’s efforts to strengthen interagency cooperation among Philippine government agencies. It aims to enhance their ability to counter WMD proliferation, improve maritime security response, and reinforce US-Philippine cooperation “in support of a secure, prosperous, free, and open Indo-Pacific,” the US Embassy said in a statement.