The Philippine Coast Guard will have an increased capacity and capability has 40 new sea vessels will be added to its fleet.
This was what President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced at the sidelines of the PCG’s 122nd Founding Anniversary celebration in Port Area, Manila on October 17.
“The new vessel that we are seeing there, the 40-foot vessel that’s made in Cebu, yan ang isa sa mga idadagdag natin,” President Marcos told the media.
‘’We will eventually have 40 of them that would give us an increased capability. This is ongoing,” he added.
The PCG ships will be built in the Dynacast Shipyard in Danao City in partnership with DM8 Composites. Dynacast is owned and operated by Dynacast Shipbuilding and Repairs Inc.
The new vessels would help the PCG fulfill its mandate in patrolling the Philippine territorial waters, as well as in search and rescue operations during maritime incidents and other disasters.
“We can see that our capability to defend our maritime (domain), the sovereign territory of the Philippines, is increasing,” the president added.
Last week, Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. also dangled the possibility of purchasing ships from Cebu as part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' modernization program.
“Cebu builds ships, Cebu builds equipment that we need, and therefore the synergy that we see today will continue but in a different dimension not only as a locator in the Province of Cebu but as a resource purchaser and resource user of the services, goods and other capabilities that your province can produce,” Sec. Teodoro said in his visit last October 12. | Babie Jane Revecoy
