Philippine Coast Guard officials welcome Commander Naoki Mizoguchi and officers of the Japan Coast Guard training vessel Itsukushima (PL-23) during the vessel’s arrival at the Port of Manila on 16 July 2026. (People’s Television)
The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) training vessel Itsukushima (PL-23) called at Manila from July 16-20, marking the final overseas port of call of its 89-day Global Ocean Training Voyage for fiscal year 2026 before returning to Japan. The four-day visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Philippines, reflecting the two countries’ expanding maritime partnership.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the visit provides an opportunity for the PCG and the JCG to expand cooperation through professional exchanges and strengthen people-to-people ties. “[T]he PCG values its partnership with the Japan Coast Guard, which has contributed significantly to the professional development and capability enhancement of our personnel,” she said.
The voyage began in Kure, Japan, on May 1 and included port calls in Victoria and Vancouver in Canada; San Francisco and Honolulu in the US; Sydney, Australia; and Singapore before arriving in Manila.
During the visit, PCG and JCG personnel will take part in official calls, professional exchanges, facility and ship tours, onboard activities and sports events. Also on board Itsukushima are nine ship riders from coast guard and maritime law enforcement agencies in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore, providing opportunities to strengthen professional exchanges and regional maritime cooperation.
Commander Naoki Mizoguchi, the commanding officer of Itsukushima, also confirmed that a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel shadowed the ship as it transited the West Philippine Sea (WPS) en route to Manila from Singapore. Commander Mizoguchi stated that, “We just continued our mission,” he said. “We take it as a good opportunity to teach the trainees that this actually happens during daily operations.” The reported incident places the visit within the wider maritime environment in the region, where coast guards are playing an increasingly visible role alongside broader diplomatic and security cooperation.
The port visit underscores the expanding scope of the Philippines-Japan partnership. As the two countries mark 70 years of diplomatic relations, coast guard cooperation has emerged as a key area of bilateral engagement through training, professional exchanges and capacity-building initiatives, reflecting the growing importance of practical maritime cooperation.
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