Balilo touched by rousing send off

Rear Admiral Armand Balilo, the “Darling of the Press” and spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), will enjoy family life as he finishes his track as spokesperson on Monday, 30 September.

In his speech, Balilo expressed gratitude to the Coast Guard Public Affairs (CGPAS) team, especially the men and women of the Coast Guard media, who support the Command’s information operations to expand public awareness of its plans, policies and operations.

“Whenever there is a crisis or problem involving the PCG or any of its members, you always approach us to learn our side of the story. You always give us an opportunity to effectively manage all crises by reporting balanced, accurate, and truthful news reports,” he stated during a ceremony on Friday.

Rear Admiral Balilo also urged CGPAS stakeholders to warmly welcome Commodore Algiers Ricafrente as the new Coast Guard spokesperson and to continue supporting the PCG in fulfilling its mandated functions.

“I hope that this turnover ceremony will further ignite our desire to transform the nation through stories that are truthful, useful and worthy of dissemination. Let us keep strengthening our relationship as we work toward providing better service to the Filipino nation,” the former PCG spokesperson concluded.

Rear Admiral Balilo will retire after completing his mandatory service of 30 years. He has been the PCG spokesperson since 2003, serving under 19 Coast Guard commandants.

In addition to being the mouthpiece of the PCG, Balilo also served as the Coast Guard Civil Relations Service commander.

With Balilo’s retirement, the PCG welcomed Commodore Ricafrente as its new spokesperson starting 27 September 2024.

In addition to his role as spokesperson, Commodore Ricafrente has also been appointed as the acting commander of the CGPAS. He also holds the position of deputy chief of Coast Guard staff for international affairs, CG-5.

Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil L. Gavan PCG presided over the event, which was witnessed by local and foreign media partners.