The newly commissioned submarine cable maintenance vessel, VEGA II, was officially commissioned last week (March 27) during a ceremony attended by Japanese Ambassador Kazuya Endo, government officials, and key industry leaders.
The event also coincided with the 25th anniversary celebration of NTT World Engineering Marine Corporation (NTT WE Marine) in the Philippines.
In his remarks, Ambassador Endo underscored the importance of submarine cables as the backbone of modern digital communication, enabling connectivity for industries such as business process outsourcing (BPO) and other critical sectors.
“Without the internet connectivity, major industry such as business process outsourcing cannot be sustained. For island nations such as Japan and the Philippines, submarine cables are especially essential. Undersea cables connecting our two countries are arguably one of the most important bonds between our two nations,” Ambassador Endo said.
“The deployment of the VEGA II will ensure safer and more reliable cable operations, further strengthening maintenance capabilities in Philippine waters. This milestone reflects the strong partnership between Japan and the Philippines in advancing digital connectivity,” he added.
VEGA II will be operated as a Philippine-flagged vessel.
Ambassador Endo expressed pride in Japan’s advanced technological contributions fostering job creation in the Philippines, emphasizing that the vessel will be operated primarily by Filipinos.
With submarine cables increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters and human activities such as fishing and dredging, Ambassador Endo highlighted the necessity of robust cooperation between public and private sectors to safeguard telecommunications infrastructure.
“The vulnerabilities present in telecommunications infrastructures awaken us to the importance of cooperation in addressing these risks; including those between the public and private sectors,” he said.
“I extend my sincere gratitude to the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and other government agencies for their efforts in fostering a dynamic telecommunications environment. With this generous addition to NTT WE Marine’s fleet, I hope that key procedures for the operation of submarine cables, including installation and maintenance, will be met with more transparency and ease moving forward,” he added.
Ambassador Endo reaffirmed Japan’s dedication to supporting digitalization and capacity-building initiatives, further strengthening the two nations’ strategic partnership in telecommunications.
“In view of an increasingly severe economic security environment, the Government of Japan will further deepen its cooperation and collaboration with the Philippine government and other stakeholders. Our earnest efforts will naturally include ensuring the security, reliability, sustainability, and interoperability in the repair and maintenance of undersea cable infrastructure,” he said.
“By honing capacity building in telecommunications infrastructure, we can achieve a greater level of trust and reliability in an increasingly interconnected world,” he said.