Philippine Coast Guard to receive 10 new vessels

Rappler.com

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Philippine Coast Guard to receive 10 new vessels
DOTC awards a contract to supply the vessels to a Japanese firm, aided by a loan from the Japanese government

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has awarded a contract for the construction and delivery of 10 40-meter multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to help improve the protection of the country’s seas.

The project, called the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project, was awarded to the Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) last week.

It is being implemented as an Official Development Assistance (ODA) project, via a tied loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The loan covers P7.3 billion out of the total project cost of P 8.8 billion ($199 million.) The remaining P 1.434 billion ($32.4 million) will be coming from the Philippine counterpart.

The staggered delivery of the vessels is scheduled for the third quarter of 2016 up to the third quarter of 2018.

“This project is part of government’s program to equip our forces with necessary assets to protect the national marine interest. These 10 new vessels will help the Coast Guard in its functions of maritime law enforcement, search-and-rescue operations, and upholding maritime security within Philippines seas,” said Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya.

Under the project terms, the MRRVs will be used by the PCG to serve as

  • Primary rescue vessels within the PCG Districts’ areas of responsibility (AOR) when the extent of the disaster is beyond the capability of other vessels.
  • Assistance in the control of oil pollution and protection of the marine environment.
  • Enforcement of maritime laws within the designated AOR, particularly relating to illegal fishing and sea patrol.
  • Service as platform for rapid response during relief operations.
  • Transport of personnel and logistical support.

The MRRVs will be deployed to various PCG Districts across the country, including Manila, La Union, and Puerto Princesa.

JMU’s winning bid of P 4.67 billion ($107.5 million) for the vessels includes the supply of standard spare parts and tools, crew training, ocean transportation, and marine insurance.

The vessels will have a standard cruising speed of 16 knots (30 km/h), and a range of 1,500 nautical miles (2,778 km). – Rappler.com

$1 = P 44.26

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