A newly-built guided missile frigate of the Philippine Navy arrived in the country on Monday, boosting the military’s limited territorial defense capability.
The warship will undergo some procedures before its formal acceptance and commissioning as BRP Diego Silang, the Navy said yesterday.
The vessel is part of one of the two vessels ordered by the Department of National Defense from South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries for P28 billion in 2021 under the AFP modernization program.
The first was delivered and subsequently commissioned as BRP Miguel Malvar last April.
“The soon-to-be BRP Diego Silang will undergo final preparations, acceptance procedures and commissioning before officially joining the Philippine Navy’s active fleet,” said acting Navy public affairs chief Capt. Benjo Negranza.
Once commissioned, the Navy will have four capital ships in its inventory, including BRP Miguel Malvar. The two others are frigates BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna, which were acquired a few years earlier, also under the AFP modernization program.
“Upon joining the active Fleet, the second Miguel Malvar-class frigate will enhance the PN’s operational readiness, maritime domain protection, and capability to uphold a free, secure, and rules-based international order,” Negranza said of BRP Diego Silang.
A few hours before it arrived in Subic, the ship was welcomed by BRP Jose Rizal, some 14 nautical miles northwest of Botolan in Zambales, said Negranza
The ship, named after revolutionary leader Diego Silang, was also welcomed by a Philippine Coast Guard vessel, which is named after Silang’s wife, Gabriela Silang, also a revolutionary leader.
The meeting procedure, off the coast of Zambales, was supervised by Navy Fleet commander Rear Admiral Joe Anthony Orbe.
Orbe’s son, Ensign Joshua Orbe of the PCG, participated in the meeting procedure aboard BRP Gabriela Silang “as part of his ongoing schooling on ship familiarization.”
Negranza described the meeting procedure between the soon-to-be BRP Diego Silang and BRP Gabriela Silang as a “significant event for both maritime forces.”
“More than a routine encounter, the meeting of these vessels honors the legacy of Diego and Gabriela Silang, symbolizing the spirit of heroism and unity that guides the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard in safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty,” said Negranza.
“The coordinated procedure also reinforced fleet interoperability, operational readiness, and the Navy’s modernization efforts, while highlighting the human side of service and the shared dedication of generations of maritime officers,” said Negranza.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy’s spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the warship, once commissioned, will mean an additional ship that could patrol Philippine waters.
“It is a positive indicator that our modernization program is on track,” said Trinidad.
“One ship is not equivalent to the entire program, but it is a positive indicator that our modernization program is on track,” added Trinidad.
