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Pia Lee Brago - The Philippine Star
May 2, 2025 | 12:00am
Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru receives arrival honors at the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters in Port Area, Manila yesterday.
Ryan Baldemor
MANILA, Philippines — Before concluding his two-day official visit, Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru boarded two Japanese vessels docked at the Port of Manila as well as the Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Teresa Magbanua to express his appreciation to their crew and officers for their role in keeping peace and stability in the region.
Ishiba visited the minesweeper tender Bungo and the minesweeper ocean Etajima of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s 3rd Minesweeping Division at the Port of Manila.
Bungo was commissioned in March 1998 as a mine layer and the Etajima in 2021. Etajima is designed to dispose of various types of mines.
The Japanese leader, who concluded his two-day visit to the country on Wednesday, also visited the 97-meter patrol vessel Teresa Magbanua, which Japan provided to the PCG through a yen loan project.
Ishiba noted the technical guidance provided to the PCG by its Japanese counterpart through the Japan Coast Guard Mobile Cooperation Team.
The Japan Coast Guard Mobile Cooperation Team was established in 2017 as a dedicated department composed of coast guard officers providing specialized knowledge and advanced skills to coast guards of allied countries.
Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said the government is speeding up the procurement of five additional 97-meter multi-role response vessels from Japan.
In an interview at the PCG headquarters on Wednesday, Dizon said this was one of the commitments made by the Philippine government to Ishiba during the latter’s official visit.
Under a soft loan with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Japanese government expressed its commitment to construct five units of 97-meter ships for the PCG.
The Department of Transportation chief said that in the next few months they hope to finalize a contract with a Japanese ship builder.
Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan, PCG commandant, said Ishiba’s visit to their headquarters “is more of an affirmation of their support to us.”
“Without saying a word, the message is very clear: he is really supporting the Philippine Coast Guard and the Filipino people,” Gavan said.
He added that they expect the delivery of all five ships by 2029 or 2030.
“We would be able to cover more areas. We can stay longer (at sea) and our people will be safer,” he said, citing a scenario once the ships have been delivered. – Evelyn Macairan
