The Taiwan Coast Guard's decommissioned patrol rescue ship "Kinmen", donated to the Philippine Coast Guard through a non-profit foundation in the Philippines, officially entered service in the southern Philippines today. Its main task is to maintain the safety of shipping routes and the marine environment around Mindanao Island.
The "We Protect Our Seas" foundation announced tonight via Facebook that the decommissioned patrol rescue ship "Kinmen" of the Taiwan Coast Guard has begun serving in the Philippine Coast Guard as the BRP Sarangani, with hull number 6177.
The foundation donated the Kinmen ship to the Philippine Coast Guard on September 21.
According to the post, the Kinmen ship was built in 2008. It is about 61 meters long, 11.7 meters wide, and has a displacement of about 688 tons. After being renovated and serving as the Sarangani ship, it can be used to perform civilian tasks such as maritime patrol, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, marine protection, and training.
The foundation stated that this donation reflects the progress of practical cooperation in maritime security and search and rescue between the Philippines and Taiwan following the "Guangdao Fishing Boat" incident in 2013. The two sides have since committed to preventing similar incidents from happening again and promoting cooperation in maritime security and search and rescue.
In a personal interview with Central News Agency, Jeffrey Ordaniel, chairman of the foundation, said that the foundation began to contact Taiwan in December 2025 about the handover of the Kinmen ship. After several months of low-key discussions and coordination, the work was finally completed.
O'Daniel pointed out that one of the main challenges is how to deal with the political sensitivities involved in the Philippines' "one-China policy." "We must ensure that the relevant government agencies understand the national interests involved, and at the same time be convinced that this transfer is fully in line with the current Philippine policy."
Another major challenge is funding. O'Daniel said that the Kinmen ship must complete renovations and related preparations before the handover, and the foundation must find a solution to complete the handover of the ship without incurring any costs for the Philippine government.
"This is the significance of this donation: we have found a pragmatic way to respect the current Philippine foreign policy while advancing national interests and further promoting regional maritime safety and security," O'Daniel said.
O'Daniel especially thanked Taiwan Ocean Commission Chairman Kuan Bi-ling, National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu, Deputy Secretary-Generals Li Wen, Zhao Yixiang, Representative to the Philippines Zhou Mingan and other "Taiwanese friends", as well as the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) for facilitating the transfer of the Kinmen ship.
Faced with concerns among some Taiwanese people that the Philippines might use the Kinmen ship to harm Taiwanese fishermen, O'Daniel responded that he was convinced that the ship would help maintain regional maritime security.
"Based on my discussions with the relevant authorities, the Sarangani ship's first priority will be to maintain the safety of shipping routes and the marine environment around Mindanao Island," O'Daniel said.
