Largest PCG response ship arrives in Manila

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) welcomed one of its largest vessels as it arrived in Manila yesterday.

In a statement, PCG officer-in-charge Vice Admiral Eduardo Fabricante said the multi-role response vessel (MRRV) 9701 is the first of two 97-meter vessels financed by the Japanese government under the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) Phase 2.

The new MRRVs have a maximum speed of not less than 24 knots and an endurance of not less than 4,000 nautical miles.

The assembly of the vessel by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. started in December 2020.

Fabricante said that once commissioned, the vessel will be named “Barko ng Republika ng Pilipinas Teresa Magbanua” and used for the PCG’s Task Force Pagsasanay, which promotes maritime security, safety, law enforcement, search and rescue and marine environmental protection.

The MSCIP’s second phase is funded by an Official Development Assistance loan of 16.5 billion yen (approximately P7.4 billion) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The Department of Transportation signed a contract with Mitsubishi in December 2019 to design, construct and deliver the two MRRVs.