The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has formally commissioned its latest and largest vessel “BRP Teresa Magbanua”, a 97-meter multi-role response vessel (MRRV) made by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in Japan. The brand new vessel, with the designation MRRV-9701, has a most pace of 24 knots and an endurance of 4,000 nautical miles. It’s seen to spice up the PCG’s functionality in patrolling the nation’s maritime territory and offering a swift response to offshore and coastal incidents. In the course of the commissioning ceremony Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade highlighted how the most recent addition to the PCG fleet would increase its functionality to carry out “humanitarian” missions and tackle its “security considerations and commitments” in Philippine waters.
The PCG’s newest vessel was named after Teresa Magbanua, a faculty instructor and navy chief who is named the “Visayan Joan of Arc” and Panay’s first girl fighter. The vessel arrived at Port Space, Manila on February 26 after its departure from the Shimonoseki Shipyard in Japan. It was modeled after the Japan Coast Guard Kunigami-class vessels. The Japanese authorities for supporting the modernization efforts of the PCG and different initiatives of the Duterte administration. The second 97-meter MRRV would attain the Philippines in June, to be dubbed the “BRP Melchora Aquino”. The 2 vessels have been procured below the Maritime Security Functionality Enchancment Undertaking Section 2 of the Division of Transportation.
Commercial
MRRV-9701 is the primary of two 97-meter vessel initiatives financed by the Japanese authorities below Section II of the Maritime Security Functionality Enchancment Undertaking (MSCIP) between the Republic of the Philippines by means of the Division of Transportation – Philippines (DOTr) and Japan in October 2016. The ocean trials have been performed by the shipbuilder, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd; Vessel Advisor for MSCIP Section II mission, Japan Marine Science Integrated; Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK) Classification Society; numerous tools makers; and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) MRRV-9701 officers and crew. These MRRV’s modeled after the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) Kunigami-class vessels are anticipated to enhance the PCG’s maritime safety and maritime security capabilities.
The acquisition of latest vessels is a breakthrough in the direction of the federal government’s thrust of modernizing and upgrading the nation’s maritime security and border safety. The Maritime Security Functionality Enchancment Undertaking Section II (MSCIP Section 2) is a Japanese-assisted mission funded by an Official Growth Help (ODA) Mortgage from the Japan Worldwide Cooperation Company (JICA) amounting to roughly JPY 16,455,000,000 (JPY 16.5 billion). The contract between the DOTr and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. for the design, building, and supply of the 2 97-meter MRRVs amounting to JPY 14,550,000,000 (JPY 14.6 billion) was signed on 27 December 2019 and have become efficient on 08 Might 2020.
