By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) expects to take delivery of four 97-meter ships and six smaller vessels next year, an official said on Wednesday, amid China’s continued efforts to block resupply missions at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.
The ships will come from Japan and France, Vice Admiral Robert N. Patrimonio, who heads the Coast Guard Maritime Security Law Enforcement Command, told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of a marine biodiversity event in Taguig City.
The coast guard has three big vessels and 10 smaller ships, he said. “Only 13 are ready for sea status and available for deployment. These vessels can operate all the way up to the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea.”
Mr. Patrimonio said building a ship takes about a year.
“We have smaller watercraft, around 12 meters in length. However, they can’t operate beyond certain sea conditions. So, when it comes to patrolling our entire maritime jurisdiction, our floating assets are still very limited,” he added.
During the panel discussion, Mr. Patrimonio said the PCG has older Australian-made vessels, but they are not ready for sea conditions.
Cebu, Davao, and Zamboanga are “three critical areas” in the Philippines that require at least one floating asset to respond to any type of maritime threats or disasters, he added.
“The deployment of our assets is more focused on the West Philippine Sea, leaving some areas without floating assets,” he said, referring to areas of the South China Sea within the country’s EEZ.
Last month, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill No. 10841, which seeks to give the PCG P5 billion in yearly funding for its modernization amid growing sea tensions with China.
The bill also allows the agency to receive loans and grants from local or foreign sources to boost modernization efforts.
The coast guard must draft a modernization plan by detailing the assets it needs to improve its operations, according to the measure. The bill also defines coast guard positions and their pay grades.
The Senate has yet to pass a counterpart measure.
China and the Philippines have been at loggerheads over confrontations near disputed features in the South China, with Manila accusing China’s coast guard of aggression and Beijing furious over what it calls repeated provocations and territorial incursions.
The Philippines has also accused China of maintaining a maritime militia to bolster its presence in the South China Sea. Beijing has maintained they are civilian ships.
China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including the Philippine-occupied Thitu, and has rejected a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague that Beijing’s expansive claims have no basis under international law. The case was brought to the court by the Philippines.