Artemio Abu

Artemio Manalo Abu is a Filipino politician and retired admiral who was the 29th commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard. As commandant, he was the overall commander of the entire Coast Guard units and commands, and is also responsible for all operations within the Philippines' maritime jurisdictions. Prior to his post, he served as the commander of the Maritime Safety Services Command and the Coast Guard Education and Training Command.

Abu narrowly defeated Cristeta Reyes, who served the municipality for more than two decades, for the seat of Mayor of Malvar, Batangas.

Early life and education Abu was born at Barangay Luta Sur, Malvar, Batangas, and is the second child among 11 siblings. He came from a family of farmers and entered the public school system in Batangas throughout his life, where he once also served as the class valedictorian both in elementary and high school. Abu entered the Philippine Military Academy in 1988 and graduated at the upper half of his class, the Tanglaw-Diwa class of 1992. He also earned his master's degree in Marine Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Abu also earned some units while studying Bachelor of Laws at Adamson University in Manila, but dropped out a few months later.

He also completed various studies and courses locally and abroad, such as the VIP Protection and Security Course at the Presidential Security Group Training School in Malacanang Park, Manila, and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System General Operator's Course. Abu also entered search and rescue courses such as the Maritime Search and Rescue Course at the Maritime Training Center in Fremantle, Western Australia, the Basic Firefighting Course at the Maritime Disaster Prevention Training Center in Yokosuka, Japan, and the Individual Training Course in Search and Rescue at the Japan Coast Guard Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan; as well as training sessions with the United States Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia, and with the China Coast Guard in Beijing, China; and crisis management programs at the Cranfield University.

Abu's operational assignments also include being a staff member of three directorate offices, namely the Weapons, Communications and Information System (CG-11), Ships and Aircraft Repair and Maintenance (CG-10), and Education and Training (CG-12). On the aftermath of the 2006 Guimaras oil spill, Abu served as one of the advisers for oil retrieval operations. and was promoted to the rank of admiral on March 11, 2022.

He officially retired on October 19, 2023 when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 56.

Personal life Known by his peers as "Art", Admiral Abu is married to Carlota Vergara, who lives at Luta Norte, in Malvar, Batangas, which is just north from his barangay in Luta Sur, and they have four children: Kevin Paul, Kariza Pamela, Kurt Patrick, and Karina Paula. He also loves singing and often plays his guitar on his free time. Abu also serves as a member of the organizations in the Freemasonry in the Philippines.