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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PCG's future BRP Melchora Aquino arriving in May

PCG's future BRP Melchora Aquino arriving in May

Published Apr 4, 2022 02:21 pm

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is anticipating the delivery of the future BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702), the second 97-meter multi-role response vessel that it procured from Japan, next month.

The Philippine Coast Guard is set to welcome the future BRP Melchora Aquino, a 97-meter long multi-role response vessel, in May 2022. (File photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard)

PCG Commandant, Admiral Artemio Abu said Monday, April 4, that the arrival of the MRRV-9702 will boost the capabilities of the Coast Guard in safeguarding the country’s maritime territory especially in the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea.

Abu said the arrival is especially meaningful for the PCG as the nation celebrates “Araw ng Kagitingan” or Day of Valor on April 9.

“Sa darating na Sabado, ipagdiriwang ng sambayanang Pilipino ang ‘Araw ng Kagitingan’ bilang pagbabalik-tanaw sa sakripisyo ng mga bayaning sundalo na inialay ang kanilang buhay para sa kalayaan na tinatamasa natin sa kasalukuyan (On Saturday, the entire Filipino people will celebrate the Day of Valor in recognition of the sacrifices of the soldiers who offered their lives for the freedom that we enjoy today),” Abu said.

“Kaya naman sa linggong ito, hinihimok ko ang bawat Coast Guardian na maglingkod nang may kagitingan para sa bayan (That is why this week, I urge every Coast Guardian to serve with bravery for the country),” he added.

The government procured two 97-meter MRRVs from Japanese company Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. under the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project Phase II (MSCIP Phase 2) of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) as part of the efforts to modernize the PCG. These are the biggest Coast Guard vessels to date.

The ships were acquired for JPY 14.6 billion or around P7 billion and its contract was signed on Dec. 27, 2019, and took effect on May 8, 2020.

The MRRV-9702 is modeled after the Kunigami-class vessel of the Japan Coast Guard. It has a maximum speed of 24 knots and endurance of 4,000 nautical miles.

It can be used to patrol the country’s vast maritime jurisdictions including the West Philippine Sea, Philippine Rise, and southern part of the archipelago. In early March, the PCG reported that a much bigger China Coast Guard sailed dangerously close to a Philippine vessel in Bago de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal) in Zambales, triggering the filing of a diplomatic protest against China.

Meanwhile, the MRRV-9701, was delivered to the PCG last February 26. Once it completes all the technical and safety inspections, it will be commissioned into service as BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701).

Abu said the vessels will be used to further enhance the maritime security, safety, law enforcement, search and rescue, and environmental protection of the 37,000-kilometer long coastline of the Philippines.

The vessels can also be used to conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) operations in times of calamities.

“What we are experiencing right now is the era of the modern Coast Guard. We have surpassed major challenges and achieved remarkable accomplishments in the past six years and amid the global pandemic,” Abu shared.

Related Tags

BRP Melchora Aquino 4042022 multi-role response vessels (MMRVs) modernization Maritime Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)
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