Local ship building company hopes to get support from government

Transcript

00:00Showcased to the media were the facilities of a local shipbuilding company in Subic, Zambales.

00:06In this facility, various tactical watercraft and aluminum fast patrol boats

00:11for the PCG PNP Maritime Group and BIFAR were made.

00:16This also includes the Multipurpose Attack Craft or MPAC of the Philippine Navy

00:21with 12 units currently in operation.

00:24These assault boats have proven successful in counterterrorism operations

00:29such as in 2020 when an MPAC unit intercepted a speedboat of the Abu Sayyaf Group.

00:36One of the models, the Mark III MPAC, was first used in 2017

00:42measuring 17 meters in length with a maximum speed of 45 knots

00:46and armed with missiles and machine guns.

00:49The local shipbuilding company supports the government's goal of having a stronger,

00:54self-reliant defense posture especially in the face of faces of challenge in the territories

01:00including the West Philippine Sea.

01:03Does it make sense for us to acquire first class vessels from other countries

01:08only for us to require sending these out of the country to do maintenance?

01:13In the Philippines, we are a maritime nation

01:16and we have the ability and the skill set to actually maintain, produce and support our own vessels.