Coast Guard ready to protect West PHL Sea, 10 multi-role vessels arriving

From Ang Malaya (Oct 16): Coast Guard ready to protect West PHL Sea, 10 multi-role vessels arriving

The Philippine Coast Guard celebrates its 113th Anniversary today. President Benigno S. Aquino III led the celebration of PCG at its headquarters in Port Area, Manila.

Aquino said on his PCG anniversary speech that delivery of ten 40-meter Multi-Role Response Vessels from Japan will start October of next year. One unit will arrive next year, two more on March 2016, other two on September 2016, three more on April 2017 and the final two on September 2017. Acquisition of ten MRRVs is part of government’s Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project.

The President added that delivery may be earlier than these dates.

On April next year the National Coast Watch Center will be finished. President Aquino said that this will operate as communication center of different government agencies to effectively monitor Philippine seas.

PCG Spokesperson Commander Armando Balilo said in the sidelines of the event that the coast guard is ready to protect West Philippine Sea. “We prepare our ships so in case there will be deployment, we’ll be ready.”

“We will complement whatever the National Government will ask us to do,” Commander Balilo added.

http://www.angmalaya.net/nation/2014/10/16/5040-coast-guard-ready-to-protect-west-phl-sea-10-multi-role-vessels-arriving