MANILA, Philippines. (08 June 2019)- The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) held the fourth iteration of high level meeting with and the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines last Tuesday, June 4 at the PCG national headquarters in Manila.

PCG Commandant, Admiral Elson E Hermogino, presided the said meeting with other PCG senior officers while the Japanese delegation was headed by the Minister of Economic Affairs Makoto Iyori of the Embassy of Japan with his staff and representatives from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

During the meeting, progress of projects sponsored and undertaken in cooperation with the Japanese government and exchange views on possible future cooperation were facilitated.

Maritime Capability Improvement Projects under Phases I and II such as procurement of 10 44-meter class multi-role response vessels (MRRVs) and two 94-meter MRRVs to be procured under soft loan agreement with the Government of Japan were among the topics discussed during the meeting.

The PCG also reported on the ongoing Japan grant aid projects such as the procurement and installation of 11 units of coastal monitoring radar systems that will be installed in the southern part of the Philippines for maritime safety and counter piracy efforts of the agency.

Likewise, under Japan grant aid is the proposed procurement of prefabricated floating pontoons to be installed in 30 priority sites in support of the maintenance and rapid deployment of the PCG’s anti-terrorism fast boats and other small water crafts.

Minister Iyori said that the results of the meeting will be reported at the 8th Philippines–Japan high level joint committee on infrastructure development and economic cooperation meeting which will be hosted by the Philippines this June in Clark, Pampanga.