Coast Guard to get 10 more vessels with Japan loan

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will soon have 10 more vessels in its fleet in order to fulfill its mandate to protect the country’s territorial waters in the wake of a maritime row with China, President Aquino said yesterday.

Aquino made the disclosure when he arrived yesterday morning from a visit to Tokyo, where he attended the 40th Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Japan Commemorative Summit, along with other world leaders.

“Even before we went home, the good news just did not stop,” Aquino said in his arrival speech at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 in Pasay City, adding that he signed the $184-million loan Japan had extended to the Philippines.

The loan for the acquisition of 10 multi-role vessels was provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Aquino said the additional sea assets for the PCG are a done deal. 

Aquino said he expects that after the bidding process, the first shipment of the newly acquired 40-meter multi-purpose vessels will arrive in the country in 2015.

Some 1,200 PCG personnel are set to undergo a three-year training program sponsored by the United States government on maintenance, engineering and other courses beginning next year.

PCG spokesman Commander Armand Balilo said the US would be offering training courses on ship maintenance, engineering systems, electronics and information.

The training program would be conducted in the country from 2014 to 2016. The lecturers and instructors would be coming from the US.

Balilo said this is not the first time that the US would be giving training and lectures to the PCG.

“There had been short courses given by the US government in the past and the PCG had been part of previous Balikatan exercises. But this is the longest training offered by the US government, it will cover a three-year period,” he said.

The US government has reportedly authorized the funding for an Inter-agency Maritime Technical Training Program of the PCG. – With Evelyn Macairan