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Vice Admiral Rommel Supangan appointed as the 31st commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard
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Supangan takes over from Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, who has retired from service
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Supangan has been with PCG for more than three decades, holding key leadership positions in maritime operations, environmental protection, and strategic affairs
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Supangan said his leadership will have four strategic pillars: to institutionalize transformation and good governance; strengthen effective maritime governannce; modernization and capacity building; and strategic partnership and cooperation
Vice Admiral Rommel Supangan has been appointed as the 31st commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Supangan takes over from Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, who has retired from service.
During the change of command and retirement ceremony on October 19, Gavan was conferred the Presidential Legion of Honor in recognition of his exceptional performance and dedicated service throughout his tenure.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in a speech during the ceremony, expressed full confidence in Supangan’s leadership.
“To Vice Admiral Rommel Supangan, congratulations on your appointment. Your decades of experience in maritime operations and leadership, including your service as Commander of the Coast Guard Fleet, Coast Guard District Palawan, and the Marine Environmental Protection Command, have prepared you for this responsibility. I am confident that you will build on the accomplishments of your predecessor, further strengthening the Philippine Coast Guard with the full support of this administration,” Marcos said.
Over 30 years with PCG
Supangan has been with the PCG for more than three decades, holding key leadership positions in maritime operations, environmental protection, and strategic affairs.
Prior to his appointment, Supangan was commander of PCG’s Marine Environmental Protection Command from February 2026, and was commander of the Coast Guard Fleet from June 2025. He was also acting director of the Coast Guard Strategic Studies and International Affairs Center from June 2025 to February 2026.
Supangan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Naval System Engineering and was a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Marilag Class of 1995. He also finished his Masters of Science in Maritime Affairs, Major in Marine Environment and Ocean Management at the World Maritime University in 2008.
Among his distinctions are the PMA Cavalier Award for Coast Guard Operations under the Senior Officer Category and unit commendations for Coast Guard District Palawan.
“I accept to lead the Philippine Coast Guard with a profound sense of humility, gravity, and sacred duty,” Supangan said in a speech following the change of command ceremony.
“Today, as we face an era defined by shifting geopolitical tides and escalating maritime vulnerabilities, the PCG must stand as an unyielding vanguard, resolute in action, governance, and compassionate in service,” he said.
Supangan added that his leadership “will be anchored upon definitive command philosophy” and structured across four strategic pillars and functionally driven by the PCG strategy roadmap: to institutionalize transformation and good governance; strengthen effective maritime governance; modernization and capacity building; and strategic partnership and cooperation.
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