Vietnam Coast Guard ship visits Cebu for 5-day engagement with PCG

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) welcomed the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) ship CSB 8002 on Monday at the Port of Cebu, as part of the five-day visit aimed at boosting maritime cooperation between the two countries. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Coast Guard)

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday welcomed the Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) ship CSB 8002 at the Port of Cebu, marking the start of a five-day visit aimed at boosting maritime cooperation between the two nations.

The PCG said the visit includes the second PCG–VCG bilateral meeting and a series of joint activities that highlight what both sides described as an “enduring partnership” in regional maritime security, search and rescue, and environmental protection.

The VCG delegation, led by Major General Tran Quang Tuan, commander of VCG Region 2, and Captain Le Viet Anh, commanding officer of CSB 8002, was received by Rear Admiral Agapito Bibat, commander of the Coast Guard District Central Visayas.

In a brief ceremony, PCG officials boarded the Vietnamese vessel to extend formal greetings and reaffirm bilateral ties. 

The visit falls under the framework of a 2024 Memorandum of Understanding on maritime cooperation between the PCG and VCG.

As part of the program, the Vietnamese delegation also paid courtesy visits to Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival and Cebu Governor Pamela Silang Baricuatro, who welcomed the port call as an opportunity to deepen local and regional cooperation.

Throughout the week, both coast guards will hold cultural and sports exchanges, as well as joint exercises on search and rescue, firefighting, and oil spill response.

The Philippines and Vietnam have stepped up maritime collaboration in recent years amid shared concerns over safety, security, and stability in the South China Sea. /gsg