Aquino signs Japan loan for acquisition of new vessels for Philippine Coast Guard

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 15): Aquino signs Japan loan for acquisition of new vessels for Philippine Coast Guard
 
President Benigno S. Aquino III said the US$ 184-million loan to acquire 10 multi-role vessels from Japan as additional sea assets of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is a done deal.

“Bago tayo lumipad pauwi, tuloy pa rin ang pagdating ng good news. Nalagdaan na po ang US$ 184 million na pautang mula sa Japan International Cooperation Agency para makabili ng sampung Coast Guard vessels na magbabantay sa ating mga baybayin,” the President said in his arrival message at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 Sunday.

The President arrived from Japan after attending the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit.

The President said that he expected that after the bidding process, the first shipment of the newly-acquired 40-meter multi-purpose vessels would arrive in the country in 2015.

With the purchase of new vessels, the PCG could upgrade its current fleet that will strengthen its task of defending the country’s exclusive economic zone.

The new sea crafts, once turned over to the PCG, would do patrols in several contested territories in the West Philippine Sea.

 http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=597020