The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) officially welcomed the BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702), its newest floating asset, at the PCG headquarters in Port Area, Manila on Wednesday, June 1.
The ship left the Shimonoseki Shipyard in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan on May 27 and sailed for five days before reaching the Philippine shore around 9 a.m.
It is the sister ship of BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) and both are considered as the largest vessels in the current fleet of the PCG that were patterned after the Japan Coast Guard's Kunigami-class vessel.
The two vessels were acquired by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) under the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project Phase II. The Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., a Japanese firm, built the vessels for JPY14.6 billion or around P7 billion.
“Today, we have all the reasons to celebrate and rejoice because another source of pride and hope is with us this morning. The arrival of this vessel sends a strong message that our country is moving ahead as a maritime nation,” said Admiral Artemio Abu, PCG Commandant.
Commodore Armand Balilo, PCG spokesperson, said the ship will be used to patrol the country’s territory including its 37,000-kilometer-long coastline that extends to the West Philippine Sea and Benham Rise.
It will also be deployed for humanitarian and disaster response (HADR) as well as relief operations in times of calamities, he added.
Like its sister ship, the BRP Melchora Aquino has a maximum speed of not less than 24 knots and endurance of 4,000 nautical miles. She has a 6600 kW diesel engine and is equipped with a helideck and a hangar that can accommodate the aerial assets of the PCG.
She also has a hyperbaric chamber that can be used by passengers who suffer from diving sickness as well as a survivor room for individuals who will be rescued by the PCG in future operations.
The BRP Melchora Aquino has a complement of 67 officers and crew members led by its commanding officer, Commander Patrick Babag.
The ship got its name from Melchora Aquino, a Filipino revolutionary who gave medical attention to wounded Katipuneros during the Philippine Revolution in the 1890s.
She obtained the monicker “Tandang Sora” and “Mother of Philipine Revolution” because of her role in the liberation of the country from its foreign oppressors.