Japan to provide Philippines 64 billion yen for 5 more patrol ships

Japan has agreed to provide the Philippines with a 64.3 billion yen low-interest loan for the acquisition of five additional Japanese patrol vessels, the two sides announced on Friday, in a bid to help it cope with China's aggressive activities in the South China Sea.At a ceremony in Manila, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo signed an agreement on the loan, which was promised by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his Manila visit in November last year.The Japan has already provided 12 patrol ships, called "multi-role response vessels" …READ FULL ARTICLE