The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) conducted a capacity building activity with the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) recently to enhance their cooperation on maritime law enforcement.
The week-long training, held from April 24 to 30, proved to be crucial for the PCG as it continues to push for a free and open Indo-Pacific region amid the expansion of China in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Under the framework of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the JCG dispatched its Mobile Cooperation Team (MCT) to provide PCG with capacity building on maritime safety and security.
Fourteen instructors and 48 trainees from the PCG were taught different arresting techniques to handle at-sea law enforcement activities.
The drills were conducted onboard the BRP Teresa Magbanua, the new multi-role response vessel of the PCG, in its headquarters in Manila.
According to the Japan Embassy, the JCG and USCG “have strengthened mutual cooperation” since the establishment of the former in 1948.
“Japan genuinely hopes that this capacity building for PCG by the JCG and USCG will contribute to the improvement of PCG’s maritime law enforcement and to the realization of a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific,’” it said.
Following the collaboration, the JCG and USCG are looking to provide further capacity building support to PCG “in the near future,” the Japan Embassy added.
The PCG has been beefing its capabilities to respond to the emerging security challenges in the country’s massive coastline and maritime territory.
Recently, two Kunigami-class multi-role response vessels (MRRV) were delivered to PCG by Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
The BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) arrived on Feb. 26, 2022 while its sister ship, the soon to be BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702), completed her first sea trials in Japan last month and was scheduled to be delivered this May. (Martin A. Sadongdong)
Both measuring 97 meters long, the vessels are considered by the PCG as its largest vessels in their fleet.