Philippine Red Cross’ (PRC) ambulance vessel from Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna Borough, M/V Susitna has arrived Friday, December 2 afternoon at Subic Bay Freeport Zone. M/V Susitna is a 195-foot military prototype vessel that was supposed to be turned into a ferry service between Point MacKenzie and Anchorage in Alaska.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough has been trying to sell the vessel for about three years since plans to build a landing terminal outside of Anchorage fell through. The Mat-Su Assembly unanimously approved the plan to sell the ferry to the PRC for USD 1.75 million, a fraction of what the borough originally hoped to get for it.
PRC Chairman Richard Gordon said that the ship will be the biggest ambulance and disaster response vessel in the country.
He said that they will conduct a contest so that the ship will be given a particular name.
He explained that the ship will be capable of evacuating thousands of people from a particular barangay to a safer place when need arises in recognition of the fact that the country is disaster-prone.
(Update)