Philippine Coast Guard commissions two new MRRVs

Two new Japan-built 44-metre patrol boats were commissioned into the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in a ceremony at the service’s Manila headquarters on Thursday, August 23.

The Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRV), which arrived in the Philippines on May 31 and August 20, have been named BRP Bagacay (pennant number 4410) and BRP Cape Engaño (pennant number 4411), respectively.

Bagacay and Cape Engaño have been named after well-known PCG-operated lighthouse stations in various points of the Philippines as are the other eight vessels in the Parola-class of patrol boats.

Each MRRV has a crew of 25 (five officers and 20 enlisted personnel), a maximum speed of 25 knots, and a range of 1,500 nautical miles. Two MTU 12V4000M93L 12-cylinder engines deliver a total output of 2,580kW.

The Parola-class boats also each have navigation radars, night vision cameras, radio direction finders, and the ability to launch and recover one rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB).

These vessels will be used for search and rescue, marine environmental protection, pollution control, humanitarian and disaster relief, and enforcement of maritime laws.

Bagacay and Cape Engaño are the final two of ten MRRVs ordered by the Philippine government from Yokohama-based Japan Marine United.

The first MRRV, BRP Tubbataha (pennant number 4401), was delivered in August 2016 and commissioned into service the following October.