COMMODORE LOWIE A PALINES PCG (RET), PH.D.
Vice President, Interfaith & Unification
Flag Rank Priest Chaplain | Servant Leader | Advocate of Faith and Public Service
Reverend Father Commodore (COMMO) Lowie Anacta Palines PCG, Ph.D. is the first-ever flag-rank priest chaplain of the Philippine Coast Guard, a distinction that reflects a life devoted to faith, leadership and service.
A native of Sulat, Eastern Samar, he is the eldest among the five children of the late Engr. Ernesto A. Palines, former town mayor, and Mrs. Alma A. Palines, a former municipal councilor and public-school teacher. Values of integrity, compassion, and public service were deeply ingrained in him very early on.
Ordained to the priestly ministry in 1996 after completing his studies in high school at the Seminario De Jesus Nazareno (SJN) 1986, AB Philosophy at San Carlos Seminary College 1990, and Theology at the University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary 1993. Rev Fr. Palines spent nine years serving the Diocese of Borongan before answering a unique calling to serve his country in uniform, as a military chaplain in 2005. After a serendipitous encounter, he joined the Philippine Coast Guard as part of the Coast Guard Officer’s Course “Charlie” Class 07–2005, marking the beginning of a distinguished military and spiritual – leadership career.
Throughout his 20 years in the Coast Guard, COMMO Palines PCG became known not only for his kind pastoral guidance but also for his capable and compassionate leadership. He served as District Chaplain in Palawan and Eastern Visayas from 2009 – 2019, while simultaneously taking on demanding operational roles such as District Chief of Staff and Station Commander of two (2) Coast Guard Stations namely Catbalogan Western Samar and Maasin, Southern Leyte. He encountered one of the most significant milestones in his public service assisting in Coast Guard operations during the onslaught of the unforgettable super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, an experience that both humbled and defined him.
Committed to lifelong learning, he earned his Master in Public Safety Administration at the Philippine Public Safety College in 2019, to complete the Senior Officer’s Course, and eventually got his Doctor of Philosophy in Development Administration, Major in Public Governance from the Philippine Christian University, October 14, 2025. His academic and field experiences strengthened his ability to merge moral leadership with effective governance, guiding both personnel and communities especially in times of crisis.
As the fourth Commander of the Coast Guard Ecumenical Chaplain Service, COMMO Palines PCG championed a holistic well-being of Coast Guard personnel and their families. Under his leadership and as the subsequent Command Chaplain of the Maritime Safety Services Command, he strived and expanded its programs to nurture faith, moral resilience, and family-centered values among the men and women of the Philippine Coast Guard.
A humble servant-leader, Commodore Palines PCG credits all his accomplishments to the overflowing grace of the Almighty. And as he transitions from active service to new opportunities in the community and humanitarian work, he carries with him the same guiding principles that has defined his life’s journey: to serve others with compassion, purpose and unwavering faith, always for the greater glory of God.