BRP Gabriela Silang Concludes Historic Tri-Country Port Visit

20 April 2025

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) with Cảnh Sát Biển Việt Nam/Vietnam Coast Guard (photos: PCG)

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) concluded its landmark Tri-Country Port Visit mission with a successful port call in Da Nang City, Vietnam from 14 to 17 April 2025.

Commanded by Captain Eleizer Ibarrientos PCG, the vessel’s final stop in Vietnam marked the culmination of a historic regional engagement, following earlier visits to Thailand and Malaysia.

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) with Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center/Thailand Coast Guard (photo: PCG)

Throughout the three-day port visit, the PCG and Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG) deepened bilateral cooperation through a series of meaningful activities including courtesy calls, professional exchanges, ship tours, people-to-people engagements, and preparatory meetings for operational collaboration.

As a gesture of goodwill, the VCG held a farewell ceremony to formally send off the BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) at the conclusion of the visit. Immediately after departure, the PCG and VCG conducted a joint at-sea exercise on search and rescue and firefighting as one of the highlights of the entire visit, demonstrating both sides’ strong commitment to maritime safety and interoperability.

PCG with Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (APMM)/Malaysian Coast Guard (photo: PCG)

This reciprocal visit reaffirmed the strong partnership between the PCG and VCG, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Cooperation in January 2024 and the visit of the VCG Ship CSB 8002 to Manila in August of the same year.

The port visit to Vietnam also underscored the PCG’s active role in advancing regional collaboration under the ASEAN Coast Guard Forum (ACF) and its continuing efforts to promote interoperability, mutual understanding, and maritime security across Southeast Asia.

As BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) sets sail back to the Philippines, the PCG brings home strengthened ties, shared experiences, and renewed commitments to fostering a safer, more secure maritime domain in the region.

(PCG)

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