Red Cross emergency vessel joins PCG fleet
The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has officially donated its humanitarian ship, MV PRC Amazing Grace, to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to boost its capabilities in maritime search and rescue, law enforcement, safety and environmental protection.
“The vessel is in the best hands with the Philippine Coast Guard. With their trained personnel and a force of over 30,000, they can ensure it operates efficiently—keeping it mission-ready at all times to serve the Filipino people,” PRC chair Richard Gordon said during the turnover ceremony held on Tuesday at the Coast Guard Fleet Parade Ground in South Harbor, Manila.
Also present during the ceremony were first lady and Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary Vice Adm. Liza Araneta Marcos, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and PCG Commandant Ronnie Gil Gavan.
Formerly called MV Susitna, the high-speed vessel was built in 2011 for the United States Office of Naval Research to test advanced maritime capabilities, although it was never put into service.
The $80-million barge convertible expedition craft was also supposed to serve as a passenger ferry across the Knik Arm between Anchorage and Point MacKenzie in Alaska.
It was the world’s first ice-capable, twin-hulled vessel and likewise the first to be able to convert between a high-speed small waterplane area twin-hull to a shallow barge-type, according to its maker, Alaska Ship and Drydock Inc.
Rapid-response vessel
The PRC eventually acquired the vessel in 2017 for just $1.7 million for its humanitarian missions, envisioning it as a rapid emergency response vessel for relief transport, medical deployment, sea rescue, mass evacuation, humanitarian logistics, command post operations, and training.
The MV Amazing Grace was first deployed after Supertyphoon “Rolly” (international name: Goni) devastated parts of the country in 2020. It delivered relief goods to hard-to-reach communities in the Bicol Region.
According to Gordon, when Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) struck the country in 2013, he was very frustrated because the PRC could not immediately go to the Visayas region and Mindanao to bring aid to affected families.
“Fortunately, I was on the board of the International Federation of Red Cross. They came here … I pounded the table and said, ‘By hook or by crook, we need to have a ship; we are an archipelagic country and we need a maritime fleet that can help the country,’” he recalled.
Shift in priority
But as the humanitarian organization strengthened its disaster response by prepositioning supplies in regional hubs and warehouses, its reliance on maritime transport decreased.
Recognizing this shift, the PCG initiated talks with the PRC about donating the vessel, reinforcing their long-standing partnership in humanitarian and rescue operations.
“When the Coast Guard came to me, they said they wanted to buy our ship. When I spoke with PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gavan, I said, ‘You don’t need to pay a single centavo,’” Gordon said.
“The Coast Guard, out of duty to the country and out of what you do splendidly for the country, we don’t have to charge you anything. And we want to work hand in hand with you,” he added.
Under the PCG’s command, MV Amazing Grace will take on a broader role in maritime search and rescue, environmental preservation and national disaster resilience.
