PCG to procure 5 patrol vessels; first ship to arrive in 2027
PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan gives Japan Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Yoshio Seguchi, a tour inside the 97-meter multirole response vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. —Photo by Faith Argosino | INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — The procurement of five more 97-meter multirole response vessels similar to BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) is already underway, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The PCG commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, announced in an ambush interview on Tuesday that the first of the five ships is set to arrive in late 2027.
“We will buy five more ships of the same class as Teresa Magbanua,” Gavan said in Filipino after touring Japan Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Yoshio Seguchi, inside BRP Teresa Magbanua.
“The procurement process is ongoing. Since crafting a ship takes time, the first delivery, according to our schedule, is expected to be around late 2027. That will be five ships. So it will be delivered by phase,” he added.
PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan gives Japan Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Yoshio Seguchi, a tour inside the 97-meter multirole response vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. —Photo by Faith Argosino | INQUIRER.net
READ: PH to buy 5 Japan-made coast guard ships in P23.85-billion deal
The PCG official and his Japanese counterpart held a bilateral meeting earlier Tuesday at the agency’s national headquarters in Manila.
Currently, the PCG has two 97-meter MRRVs manufactured by Japan. The other one is BRP Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702).
According to the PCG, the MRRV class, based on Japan’s Kunigami-class design, has a maximum speed of at least 24 knots and an endurance of at least 4,000 nautical miles.
The agency said this type of ship can conduct sustained maritime patrols in the country’s maritime jurisdictions, including the West Philippine Sea and Philippine Rise.
