COAST GUARD SHIPS. The BRP Melchora Aquino and BRP Malapascua — both multirole response vessels (MRRVS) — patrolling Philippine waters in this undated photo. The Department of Transportation and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. on Tuesday (Sept. 8, 2026) have formally commenced the building of five new 97-meter MRRVs for the PCG. (Photo courtesy of PCG)
MANILA – The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. have formally commenced the implementation of the Maritime Safety Capability Improvement Project (MSCIP) Phase III for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), covering the construction of five 97-meter Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRVs).
In a statement on Tuesday, the DOTr said the project’s implementation phase began with a kick-off meeting held at the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Shimonoseki Shipyard in Japan from Aug. 24 to 28.
The DOTr-PCG delegation was headed by DOTr Assistant Secretary for Maritime Villamor Ventura Plan.
“The construction and delivery of five 97-meter MRRVs is a significant investment in the Philippine Coast Guard’s capabilities,” Plan said.
He added that the project will strengthen the country’s ability to protect lives, promote maritime safety and security, and respond to the growing demands of the maritime domain.
Both parties also focused on the early identification and management of potential technical, contractual, scheduling and operational risks to help ensure that issues are addressed before they affect major project milestones.
The five additional MRRVs are expected to strengthen the PCG’s capacity to conduct sustained and extended maritime operations across the country’s maritime domain, supporting functions such as search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, environmental protection and other multirole operations.
The project increases the number of major vessels in the Coast Guard fleet and supports the continuing modernization of the PCG to maintain presence across the country’s maritime domain.
The acquisition supports the Bagong Pilipinas initiative in building a modern, capable and mission-ready PCG that can safeguard lives and property at sea, enforce Philippine maritime laws and protect the country’s maritime interests and sovereign rights consistent with international law. (PNA)