The Japanese government will provide five ships to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to further boost its maritime security capability.
The assets are expected to complement the two 97-meter and 10 44-meter multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) earlier acquired by the PCG from Japan.
The five ships to be provided to the Philippines are similar to the 97-meter MRRVs and will be funded under an official development assistance (ODA) from Japan, PCG spokesperson Rear Adm. Armand Balilo said on Sunday, Nov. 5.
"On top of the 12 ships already delivered, five additional units of 97-meter MRRVs are intended to be financed by Japan, bringing the total to 17 ships," the PCG and Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was in Manila for an official visit from Nov. 3 to 4, said that Tokyo will send the additional maritime assets as part of the efforts to improve the PCG.
"The last pillar of the New FOIP (Free and Open Indo-Pacific) Plan is extending efforts for security and safe use of the sea to the air. Japan has hitherto provided 12 ships to the Coast Guard to play a part in improving the Philippines' maritime security capability," Kishida said during his address at the joint special session of the Senate and House of Representatives on Saturday, Nov. 4.
DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista welcomed the announcement as he said that it will form part of the agency's initiatives to modernize the coast guard.
Bautista recently ordered newly installed PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan to expedite their modernization "to strengthen Coast Guard personnel amidst challenges in protecting the Philippine waters."
Last year, the PCG acquired BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV 9701) and BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV 9702) from Japanese shipmaker Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. under the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project Phase II (MSCIP Phase 2).
They are 97-meter MRRVs that were patterned after the Japan Coast Guard’s Kunigami-class vessel; and have a maximum speed of not less than 24 nautical miles per hour, and endurance of not less than 4,000 nautical miles.
Meanwhile, the PCG also acquired 10 units of 44-meter MRRVs built by the Japan Marine United (JMU) Corporation in Yokohama Shipyard. They have a standard cruising speed of 25 knots and a range of 1,500 nautical miles.
The vessels were obtained through the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) Phase I, and was implemented as an Official Development Assistance (ODA) project via a tied loan extended by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The MRRVs have since been used in maritime security and maritime safety operations in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and in safeguarding Filipino fishermen and upholding the country's sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid the threat posed by the presence of Chinese vessels in the said waters.
The MRRVs are also being used in performing search and rescue (SAR) missions, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) efforts.