The Philippines commissioned into service two more Japan-made patrol ships on Thursday, the final batch of a 10-ship supply contract worth tens of millions of dollars.

Philippine Coast Guard chief Rear Adm. Elson Hermogino said the ships will soon be deployed to Philippine waters, including disputed areas in the South China Sea.

"Those will be part of our deployment in the West Philippine Sea and the Benham Rise," he said during a ceremonial turnover at the coast guard headquarters in Manila, adding that the ships will each be outfitted with six 50-caliber guns.

The 44-meter ships were built under a contract awarded to Japan Marine United Corp. by the Philippines through an official development assistance loan totaling 7.37 billion pesos ($138 million).

The patrol ships have a cruising speed of 46 kilometers per hour, are equipped with radar with a detection range of 1,500 nautical miles, and feature night vision cameras and bullet-proof navigational bridges.

A representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in the Philippines, Yoshio Wada, said at the ceremony that Japan will continue to support the Philippines' coast guard with construction and delivery of two 90-meter ships in the next few years.

"Maritime safety and security is a vital element of JICA and the Philippines' development cooperation and trusted partnership," Wada said, adding that the two countries will continue to share ideas and expertise in the fields.