The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will soon obtain 40 additional patrol boats from France worth P25.8 billion to further bolster its security assets and capabilities.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier approved the purchase of fast patrol crafts (FPCs) as part of the Bagong Pilipinas initiative to strengthen maritime security by upgrading PCG’s capabilities.
The PCG has transmitted the Notice of Award to the French firm OCEA for the purchase of the 35-meter patrol boats. The transmittal took place in a recent by Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gavan with French Minister for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad, Laurent Saint-Martin where the visiting French minister invited Philippine officials to visit the OCEA shipyard for the ceremonial first cutting of sheet metals for the patrol vessels.
Gavan said the deal is the largest single-purchase under the ongoing PCG modernization program which is backed official development assistance (ODA) from the French government.
Saint-Martin assured the Philippine officials the French government fund assistance for the naval and air fleet modernization of the PCG.
Negotiations are also underway for the three new sister ships to the BRP Gabriela Silang, which was also built by OCEA in 2020.
PCG and OCEA have also earlier signed two maintenance contracts, where OCEA committed to efficiently service the vessels. (With PNA)