MANILA, Dhu-AlQa'dah 15, 1437, August 18, 2016, SPA -- Japan on Thursday delivered to the Philippines the first of 10 coastguard vessels to help it improve its maritime security and law enforcement in the South China Sea, Reuters reported. Philippine coastguard chief Rear Admiral William Melad said the 44-metre (144-foot) vessel from Japan would be sent out to sea on patrols and law enforcement operations. "It can be used for maritime security operations but it's not for combat," Melad told reporters. The boat would also be used for humanitarian work and disaster relief operations. Japan will supply nine more of the vessels under a 7.3 billion peso ($158 million) soft loan agreement. --SPA 16:00 LOCAL TIME 13:00 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w