MANILA, Philippines — The Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) ship CSB 8002 arrived in Manila on Monday where they will be conducting joint exercises with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Manila Bay for four days.
The PCG said the VCG vessel, which was composed of over 80 crewmen, will be in Manila from August 5 to 9.
“Concluding the port call will be the conduct of SAR (search and rescue), fire and explosion prevention training, and passing exercise in the vicinity waters of Manila Bay,” PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo said in a statement.
He also said that the VCG vessel will leave Philippine waters after a thorough debriefing and evaluation of the joint PCG-VCG initiative.
PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan said that the four-day port call will promote mutual understanding and enhance cooperation between the two Coast Guards.
According to the PCG, this is to improve the interoperability and operational readiness of the two coast guards as active members of the ASEAN Coast Guard Forum (ACF).
The VCG is monitoring for possible oil spills due to leaks from three grounded and sunken ships in Bataan last month.
VCG’s Region 2 Vice Commander Colonel Hoang Quoc Dat will be having a courtesy call to Gavan after the welcoming rites, the PCG said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Gavan visited Hanoi, Vietnam earlier this year to discuss the strong bilateral relations between the two coast guards.
On January 30, the PCG and VCG officially signed a memorandum of understanding on maritime cooperation. They agreed to create a joint Coast Guard committee to address common issues and interests and establish a hotline communication mechanism.
