ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PCG inks pact with French firm for ship maintenance

PCG inks pact with French firm for ship maintenance

Published Apr 13, 2025 03:05 am
PCG OCEA.jpg
PCG Commandant, Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan (second from left) and OCEA Representative Monsieur Jacques Briand (second from right) shake hands after the signing of a contract aimed at strengthening the operational readiness and sustainability of its fleet of French-built patrol vessels, in Makati City on April 11, 2025. Witnessing the ceremony were (L-R) DOTr Sec. Vince Dizon and French Ambassador to the Philippines Laurent Saint-Martin. (Photo: PCG)

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) signed a maintenance contract with French shipbuilding company OCEA over the weekend to strengthen the operational readiness and sustainability of its fleet of French-built patrol vessels, it said Saturday, April 12.

PCG Commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan and OCEA Representative Monsieur Jacques Briand led the ceremony in Makati City last Friday, April 11. It was also graced by French Ambassador to the Philippines Laurent Saint-Martin, and Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vivencio Dizon, who served as honored witnesses to the partnership.

Under the agreement, OCEA will provide technical support, regular maintenance services, and a steady supply of essential spare parts for the PCG’s OCEA-built vessel, the BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301).

OCEA agreed to supply and deliver services and parts for a one-year integrated logistics support (ILS) intended for BRP Gabriela Silang for P130 million or any amount that may later be adjusted.

Moreover, OCEA also agreed to supply and deliver services and parts for an additional three-month ILS intended for PCG’s four 24-meter fast patrol boats for an additional P50 million or any amount that may later be adjusted.

“This partnership marks a significant milestone in the PCG’s continued commitment to maritime safety, security, and environmental protection,” Gavan said.

To recall, OCEA pledged in December 2022 to develop a P1.5-billion shipyard in the Philippines that would possibly offer 500 to 600 direct and indirect jobs in the country, as it aims to build 15 to 120-meter boats for maritime safety and security, transportation, and fisheries.

The initial investment pledge was made by OCEA during the ninth Philippine-France Joint Economic Committee (JEC) meeting in July 2021. The commitment was formalized through a letter of intent sent to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the creation of OCEA Shipbuilding Philippines, Inc.

The maintenance contract aims to ensure the long-term performance, efficiency, and seaworthiness of the said vessel, which play a crucial role in maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

Related Tags

Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) OCEA Philippines BRP GABRIELA SILANG
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.