Philippine Coast Guard’s largest multi-role response ship arrives

The Philippine Coast Guard’s largest multi-role response vessel (MRRV) arrived Saturday in the country.

Several Coast Guard personnel led by PCG Officer-in-Charge Vice Admiral Eduardo Fabricante welcomed the arrival of the first MRRV-9701 in Port Area, Manila.

According to the PCG, the MRRV-9701 sailed from Shimonoseki Shipyard in Japan where it was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Ltd. last December 2020.

"Lubos po kaming nagagalak dahil nandito na ang pinakamalaking barko ng PCG. Nagpapasalamat kami sa ating mahal na Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte at kay Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade sa kanilang patuloy na pag-agapay at pag-suporta sa modernisasyon ng PCG," Fabricante said in a statement.

(We are glad that PCG's biggest ship has arrived. We thanked President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and DOTr Secretary Art Tugade for their continuous support in the modernization of the PCG.)

The MRRV-9701 is one of two 97-meter MRRVs the Philippines had ordered from Japan, as part of PCG's modernization program.

Each of the new MRRVs measures approximately 97 meters, with a maximum speed of not less than 24 knots, and an endurance of not less than 4,000 nautical miles.

The vessels are capable of conducting sustained maritime patrols within the country’s maritime jurisdictions, including the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Rise.

In addition, the two vessels will significantly boost the capabilities of the PCG in conducting maritime search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

The second 97-meter MRRV is set to arrive in the country in the coming months, according to the PCG.

It is part of the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) Phase II of the Philippines, spearheaded by the DOTr and Japan, which was formally agreed on in October 2016.

The Coast Guard said once commissioned as “Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas (BRP) Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701),” it will be used to assist in the operation of the PCG Task Force Training.

PCG's Task Force Pagsasanay was activated to intensify the capacity building among personnel and assets to promote maritime security, maritime safety, maritime law enforcement, maritime search and rescue, and marine environmental protection in the country’s maritime waters. —LBG, GMA News