The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Sunday, March 8, that it has received 13 generator sets from the government of Japan to support its maritime operations and disaster response capabilities.

The equipment was formally turned over to Rear Adm. Rommel Supangan, commander of the Marine Environmental Protection Command (MEPCOM), by the Japanese government, represented by Japanese Embassy Minister Naobumi Yokota, during a ceremony at the Coast Guard National Headquarters in Port Area, Manila last Friday, March 6.

Supangan, who represented PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan, expressed appreciation for the Japanese government’s assistance, saying the donation reflected the continued maritime cooperation between Manila and Tokyo.

The PCG said the units will support daily port operations and serve as backup power during emergencies.

“Beyond daily port operations, these units will serve as critical assets during emergency operations—providing power where local grids are limited, supporting disaster relief efforts during outages, and ensuring operational capability via contingency deployments in remote regions,” the Coast Guard noted.

The generators were provided under the Japan Grant Aid Program, a scheme that funds equipment and infrastructure support for partner countries.

Meanwhile, Yokota said a reliable power supply would reduce the strain on PCG personnel.

“A stable shore power supply would significantly alleviate the ‘maintenance burden’ on Coast Guard personnel. It will allow them to better protect lives and ensure safety at sea,” he said.

The Coast Guard said the generators have already been distributed to several districts across the country.

The two countries have expanded maritime cooperation in recent years as Tokyo has funded several PCG projects that included vessels, surveillance systems, training support for its personnel, and maritime infrastructure.