Diether Ocampo is now a lieutenant commander in the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary. Image: Facebook/@PCGA116
Ever wondered why Diether Ocampo has been away from the showbiz spotlight? Well, he is busy serving the country as part of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary (PCGA).
The PCGA is a non-government organization that supports the Philippine Coast Guard. Some of its functions include promoting safety of life and property at sea and preserving the marine environment.
His role in the organization came to light after a fan page posted last June pictures of him in uniform and introduced him as a “Lt. Diether Ocampo.”
The same pictures of the ’90s matinee idol were featured in the Facebook page of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary 116th Squadron, in which he was identified as a lieutenant commander during a February convention.
Last February, he donated rubber hiking sandals to the PCGA district of NCR and Central Luzon.
Updates on the page showed that Ocampo has been participating in activities and meetings of his squadron for the past months.
In June, Ocampo completed the seafarer’s training program run by the Philippine Center for Advanced Maritime Simulation and Training (Philcamsat). In a video on the Philcamsat Facebook page, the actor is seen undergoing fire safety training and underwater training.
He also opened up the challenges Filipino seafarers experience. “Parang laging sumasagi sa isipan ko na sa bawat oras na lumilipas na iniiwan nila ang kanilang pamilya, sa bawat araw na lumilipas na kailangan nilang pagdaanan ang lahat ng unos, bagyo, disgrasya, apoy, lahat na, kailangan nilang malagpasan lahat nang ito.”
(It always comes to my mind that every time they leave their families, each day that they need to go through the storms, typhoons, disasters, fires, everything, they have to overcome all this.)
He said that in going through the training as a seafarer, he learned more about himself and Filipinos. “Nakilala ko kung gaano kayaman ang Pilipinas ‘pag dating sa tao (I realized how rich the Philippines is in terms of its people).”
Ocampo starred in the youth-oriented show “Gimik” and was paired in movies “Nasaan Ka Man” and “Bcuz of U” with Claudine Barretto and Kristine Hermosa, his former wife. /ra
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