# Joel Garcia

Admiral Joel Sarsiban Garcia is a Philippine Coast Guard admiral who has served as the 28th Commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, who also has served as the Executive Director of the National Coast Watch Center (NCWC), and the Deputy Commandant for Administration of the Philippine Coast Guard == Career == He was born and raised in Bago, Negros Occidental, and finished his education at the University of Negros Occidental – Recoletos, before graduating the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy in 1985, and earned his Master of Science Degree in Maritime Administration from the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden and Masters in Shipping Management at the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree in Public Administration at the Eulogio "Amang" Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology, conferred his Doctors Degree in Humanities (Honoris Causa) (H.D) at the Sulu State College, for his humanitarian services, and earned his license as a Master Mariner in 1992.He also served as the Executive Director of the Presidential Task Force on Maritime Development Secretariat in 1996 during the Presidency of Fidel Ramos, and served as the Chairman of the Committee on Islamic Religious Studies and a member of the Technical Panels in Humanities and Maritime Education of the CHED from 2003 to 2010. He was assigned in various ships from the Philippine Navy, and the Philippine Cost Guard, and served as Coast Guard District Commander on four districts: Coast Guard District National Capital Region - Central Luzon, Coast Guard District Western Region, Coast Guard District Eastern Luzon Region, and Coast Guard District Northern Luzon Region.