Interesting Greenpeace ship "Esperanza" in Manila Bay, Philippines, open to public for visit. Last day July 28, 2013, Sunday!

I just came from an interesting visit tonight, July 27, 2013, of the Greenpeace ship "Esperanza"---the name comes from the Spanish word for "hope". Fascinating, educational, very interesting!

Tomorrow Sunday, July 28, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. in the morning to 3 p.m. in the afternoon, this ship Esperanza is open to the public to visit. It is docked at Pier 15, which is just nearest the back of the Manila Hotel, Manila City, the Philippines.

Image below of the ship "Esperanza", sourced from greenpeace.org.au



I encourage everyone interested in oceans, seas, the environment or ships in general to visit this former Russian fire-fighting vessel during its last day.

It sailed here from Dumaguete port to Sorsogon province in Bicol and then now to Manila Bay in its mission to campaign for protecting our oceans against three major threats of---climate change, overfishing and pollution.

Photo below (from Facebook page of Greenpeace Philippines) shows divers from Silliman University, Coastal Conservation and Education foundation, and Greenpeace on July 10, 2013 surveying the massive coral damage in Apo Island of the Philippines. The documentation of the reef check in Apo Island is part of the activities around the visit of the Greenpeace ship "Esperanza" which is now in Manila Bay, the Philippines.





Greenpeace is an international environmental organization which does not accept donations or financial help from businessses or governments, just small donations from over three million supporters worldwide and international volunteers.

Go to the website of Greenpeace Philippines to support this outstabnding group.

Let us support Greenpeace and help save our environment!

The beautiful image below is of Apo Island in the Philippines which is described as "ray of hope' for oceans according to Greenpeace. Image sourced from greenpeace.org

Image below of the ocean's natural beauty, sourced from durianpost.com




Some of the diverse creatures of the ocean which nourish us, and which we should also protect by saving our oceans from destruction, image below sourced from Facebook page of Greenpeace Philippines about the visit now of their ship "Esperanza".

 

Among the Philippine leaders and celebrities who have expressed support for Greenpeace and its ship "Esperanza" on its visit to the Philippines include Senator Loren Legarda, presidential adviser on the environment Neric Acosta, actor Cesar Montano and Parokya ni Edgar band member Buhawi Meneses.

I personally met the talented Meneses and his wife tonight during a tour of the ship by a young female German volunteer of Greenpeace along with their other volunteers.


Senator Loren Legarda is a lifelong environmentalist, image below sourced from liberalparty.org.ph




Secretary Neric Acosta's image below, sourced from facebook.com




Actor Cesar Montano once starred in an environmtalist movie Muro Ami, image below sourced from ph.omg.yahoo.com





Buhawi Meneses of the popular and long-lasting Parokya ni Edgar band, image below sourced from
flickr.com

US naval ship arriving tomorrow Nov. 19 on "routine port call"

Seriously: What connection of USS Gridley ship, 1898 Battle of Manila Bay & Bugs Bunny cartoon?

My Comments:

I believe the U.S. government statement that these naval ship visits to Manila and other Asian ports are truly "routine port calls" to sailors and other navy personnel their much-needed rest and recreation as well as for naval exercises.

It is also my analysis that President Barack Obama's announced strategic policy shift called the so-called "pivot" is also essentially a military move, which seeks to bolster American military presence and strategic influence in the world's most economically vibrant region of Asia.

Hopefully, USA shall continue to act as a stabilizing force in Asia, and not unnecessarily or mistakenly provoke any misunderstandings with other powers in the region. USA military presence can and should be a stabilizing force in Asia, nothing more.

USA just needs to communicate more with other Asian powers to allay any misunderstandings. In fact, China, the East Asian dragon economies and ASEAN have in the past decades flourished economically due partly to the stability ensured by USA military presence in Asia as long as there is mutual respect, mutual trust and nonstop open communications with all powers.

Ideally, I believe the ASEAN region should in the long-term be a nuclear-free, neutral and demilitarized region focused mainly on economic prosperity---not a battleground for rival superpowers.

Thanks to USA diplomats for sending me this news:

USS Gridley to Arrive in Manila Bay

Manila, November 18, 2012 --- USS Gridley (DDG-101), an Arleigh-Burke Class Destroyer, will arrive in Manila Bay on Monday for a routine port call which the United States embassy described said "highlights the strong historic, community, and military connections between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines." 

The USA Embassy added: "This visit will allow the ship to replenish supplies as well as give the crew an opportunity for rest and relaxation."

The USS Gridley DDG-101 is part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and is homeported in San Diego, California. 

Interestingly for the Philippines is this tidbit of history---The naval ship is named for Captain Charles Gridley, Commander of the USS Olympia who was famously told by Admiral George Dewey to “fire when you ready, Gridley” in the historic Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War.

That "Battle of Manila Bay" episode in history started America's role as new colonial power, colonizing the Philippines and subduing the Philippine revolutionaries fighting for independence then under the leadership of President Emilio Aguinaldo.

The Philippine revolutionaries were already winning their war of independence against three centuries of Spanish colonial rule, when the then rising USA intervened militarily, conquered the Philippines and subsequently suppressed Filipino rebels still fighting for self-rule in the Philippine-American War.

In fairness to the United States, it was American colonial occupation which helped transformed a formerly backward, agricultural Spanish colony into Asia's second wealthiest economy next only to Japan in less than half a century of American rule. It was under the Americans that the Philippines had Asia's best public schools, pioneer stock exchange, modern mining and other industries. A lot of ultra-nationalists may be morally right in criticizing America's suppression of Philippine independence, but it cannot be denied that USA colonial rule had modernized the Philippine economy to its golden years.

(Capt. Charles "Steve" Gridley)





This a view of Capt. Gridley, Cmdr. Lamberton (Gridley's eventual replacement) and Lt. Rees, aboard USS OLYMPIA

According to the USA Embassy, no media availability is planned during USS Gridley’s short visit to Manila Bay.

By the way, another tidbit of information---Charles Gridley is best remembered as the Captain of the USS Olympia, made famous when  Admiral George Dewey chose Gridley's USS Olympia as his flagship in the Battle of Manila Bay  and Dewey gave the famous order, "You may fire when you are ready, Gridley."  

For kids and the youth, remember this similar line from the various Looney Tunes cartoon shows with this same line was regularly shouted  by Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck?