PH receives first coastguard vessel from Japan

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) received the first of 10 new multi-role response vessels from Japan on Thursday (August 18).

 

JAPAN GIVES VESSELS TO PH. (Photo grabbed from inquirer.net)

 

This first vessel was named Tubbataha, a 44-meter vessel which was named after PCG lighthouse situated at the Tubbataha Marine National Park in Palawan. The other vessels to come until 2018 will also be named after the PCG lighthouses, and these will be deployed in Manila, La Union, and Puerto Princesa.

According to an Inquirer report, PCG said that the vessel will be used for “search-and-rescue, law enforcement, and transport purposes.”

These ships were built in Japan and supported by Japanese aid money related to the former World War II as it seeks to boost ties when it comes to defense.  There were also discussions with Japan giving the Philippines two additional patrol vessels and a lease of a surveillance aircraft. Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida of and Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Perfecto Yasay are in talks regarding the rule of law in settling maritime disputes.

 

Source: Inquirer.net, Philippine Coast Guard