PCG unveils patrol, disaster response assets

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday unveiled newly acquired assets meant to boost its patrol and disaster response capabilities.

The new assets – 90 pick-up trucks, 73 rubber boats with outboard motor, 12 rigid hull inflatable boats with outboard motor, seven buses and five fully-equipped ambulances – were turned over and blessed in ceremonies led by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade at the PCG headquarters in Manila.

Lorenzana said the boats would be used to patrol the West Philippine Sea and assist fishermen, especially during distress.

“You will be able to fulfill your duty better with these equipment,” he told the PCG men.

The PCG said the pick-up trucks are capable of carrying several deflated rubber boats and other cargoes.

The new rubber boats, on the other hand, are 4.3 meters in length with 30 horsepower outboard motor and built-in heavy-duty transom with stainless support plate.

The seven-meter long rigid hull inflatable boats are also equipped with navigational equipment such as X Band Radar, Electronic Chart Display, Global Positioning System and marine VHF radio for communication. Each boat can accommodate 10 to 12 passengers.

PCG commandant Admiral Elson Hermogino said the new equipment would also enable the coast guards to provide better and more dependable service to the public especially during times of calamities.

He said the assets would be distributed to various PCG districts nationwide for maritime security, patrol and interception, transport of crew and rescue operations. 

The PCG is awaiting the delivery from France of an offshore patrol vessel to be used for patrolling the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine (Benham) Rise. The vessel, PCG’s biggest and most modern, is expected to arrive in Manila in December and will be named BRP Gabriela Silang.

Its PCG crew will undergo training in September. The Gabriela Silang, according to the PCG, will be used in operations against pirates and terrorists in southern Philippines.

The French-made offshore patrol vessel has a length of 83.6 meters, maximum speed of 20 knots, can sail for 22 days and can carry 64 crewmembers.   

Earlier, Lorenzana revealed that the Philippines is looking at entering into a government-to-government agreement with Australia for the procurement of offshore patrol vessels (OPV) for the Philippine Navy.

“I think we can actually do away with the bidding process and go into a government-to-government transaction,” Lorenzana said at the opening of Australian shipbuilder Austal’s new assembly bay in Cebu.

He said the Philippine government could take advantage of the financing offered by the Australian government at his meeting with Australia’s minister for defense last year.

The Philippine government, he said, has allocated P30 billion for the procurement of six OPVs.

“If we can do paper work fast, we could be signing the contract by end of this year,” he said.

Austal, which recently obtained a license to build naval vessels in the country, earlier expressed interest in providing OPVs for the Philippine Navy as part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization program.

“Now, we know there is a company here like Austal who can actually build our ships. We have been waiting for this time that somebody can build our ships according to our specifications,” Lorenzana said.

“And I think they are very qualified to do that because they also make ships for the US Navy and since they are already here, we might as well utilize them instead of outsourcing our shipbuilding abroad,” he added.

Austal marketing manager Paul Sparke said earlier this year the company’s Cebu facility gave Austal an advantage over other firms that had also expressed interest in providing vessels to the Philippine Navy, such as German shipyard Lurssen and Dutch company Damen. The two other foreign firms would be building most of the vessels overseas.

Austal started operations in Cebu in February 2012. To date, Austal has delivered 17 commercial ships from its shipyard in Cebu.  –  With Louella Desiderio