DOTC awards a contract to supply the vessels to a Japanese firm, aided by a loan from the Japanese government
NEW VESSELS SOON. An existing Philippine coast guard vessel on patrol in the Pasig River. File Photo by Jodesz Gavilan/Rappler
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) to
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
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
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).
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.