5 th MRRV from Japan arrives at South Harbor
The fifth Multi Role Response Vessels of Philippine Coast Guard from Japan has arrived in the country Monday morning.
MRRV Suluan with bow number 4406 arrived at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) headquarters in South Harbor around 9 am.
“The MRRV- Suluan with assigned bow number 4406 is the fifth of the ten 44-meter multi-role response vessels which was built and delivered by the Japan Marine United Corporation (JMUC) Yokohama shipyard in Japan,” Commander Armando Balilo, PCG spokesman said.
Balilo said Commodore Joel Garcia, officer-in-charge of the Philippine Coast Guard lauded the men of BRP Suluan for bringing the ship safe inspite of a typhoon in Southern Japan.
“He (Garcia) also said that MRRV Suluan will be also utilized to support the ongoing fight against terrorism on Southern Philippines,” he added.
Balilo said, like the first four MRRVs, the fifth vessel was named after a light house located in Eastern Samar.
“She is named after the Suluan Lighthouse situated in Guiuan, Eastern Samar,” he said.
“She will be an additional floating asset to the search and rescue vessels being utilized by the Philippine Coast Guard to further strengthen the agency’s capability in the performance of its mandated functions such as the maritime law enforcement, maritime security, maritime search and rescue, marine environmental protection, and maritime safety administration within the country’s maritime domain,” he added.
Four MRRVs of PCG were named BRP Capones, BRP Malapascua, BRP Malabrigo and BRP Tubbataha.
The PCG are expecting five more MRRV’s from Japan which procurement was implemented as an Official Development Assistance (ODA) project through a tied loan extended by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
“Five more brand new MRRV’s will be built for the PCG and will also be named after the primary lighthouses in the country to denote its significance as one of the navigational aids in the maritime industry,” Balilo said.
The loan facility for the project covers P 7,373,700,00 out of the total project of P 8,807,700,000 while the balance of P 1,434,000,000 will be sourced from the Philippine counterpart. Robina Asido/DMS
