Aquino to welcome new Philippine Navy ship

9:37 am | Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

MANILA, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III will welcome the newly acquired Philippine Navy vessel, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, in Manila South Harbor, Tuesday.

Photo by Katherine Evangelista/INQUIRER.net

The 378-foot vessel arrived in the Philippines August 21 after several weeks of voyage from Hawaii.

Aquino arrived at the the Manila South Harbor Pier 13 at before 9 a.m.

Aside from Aquino, also welcoming the vessel are Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Navy Flag Officer- in-Command Vice Admiral Alexander Pama, and Philippine Navy Fleet 15 Commanding Officer Captain Alberto Cruz.

BRP Gregorio del Pilar, a Hamilton class US Coast Guard-Weather High Endurance Cutter, was purchased through the US Excess Defense Act using funds from the Department of Energy’s Malampaya project.

The ship, which can carry up to 180 crew members and was first launched in December 1965, is classified by the Philippine Navy as a surface combatant ship. It is equipped with a helicopter flight deck, a retractable hangar and other facilities to support helicopter operations.

The Philippine Navy has trained 13 officers and 82 enlisted personnel to man the ship.

The BRP Gregorio del Pilar was formerly used by the US Coast Guard for drug and illigal migrant interdiction, law enforcement, search and rescue operations, maritime resources protection and defense readiness.

The Philippine Navy, meanwhile, will use the multi-mission vessel for maritime security patrols and search and rescue missions.

Specifically, the BRP Gregorio del Pilar will be deployed to air maritime security of the Malampaya project.

BRP Gregorio del Pilar was turned over to the Philippine Navy last May 13 in ceremonies held at Coast Guard Island Alameda, California.

Also present during the ceremonial welcoming are US Ambassador Harry Thomas and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.

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Tags: Benigno Aquino III , BRP Gregorio del Pilar , Navy , Waterways and Maritime

Anonymous

December 1965!!! yan ang modern sa inyo! at what cost?? 600 million?? cmon..it took several weeks for a vessel that can go 29 kn (54 km/h)! what a bald headed fool!. we are better off building our own mini super craft for our islands defense! mabilis pa ang kumpit dito.. ( Kumpit- fast craft used by Smugglers)

http://twitter.com/burndvinyard Burn Gutierrez

yun pong mismong cutter ay na-launch oong 1960s. pero yung pinaka-platform po at hull nito ay open for modernization gaya ng mga bagong turbines at lahat ng mga bagong armaments. kung susumahin, win-win deal po ang Pilipinas dito. kailangan lang po natin alamin lahat ng tungkol dito. kung bago po ang binili natin, or kung magproduce po tayo sa ngayon, hindi na po mahahantay yung requirement na bantayan ang West Philippine Sea (at hindi po para makipaggera). malaki din po ang maintenance costs kung bago ang bibilhin. hindi po natin yun kakayanin sa ngayon from a long-term and practical point of view. pero marami na din pong locally-made ships at multi-purpose attack crafts ang nagawa po para sa Navy locally..tungkol naman sa tagal ng biyahe ng Gregorio, marami pong on-board at inter-vessel training sessions na nangyari sa Hawaii at Guam bago po dumerecho ng Pilipinas.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_454XS55B33EU5C7OZXCV25ASQE Benigno Arroyo

just try to appreciate..mabuti na yan kasya wala..atleast may nakikita tayong binibili ng gobyerno sa tax na nakukuha nila sa atin..suportahan na lng natin pre..wag na dami reklamo..

Anonymous

we pay (taxes)for this crap? bakit di ako mag reklamo? 600 million..

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T7XBF3CHW2WLPOBIBXLNDWATQA anonym ous

Reality check for you: a brand new ship costs BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, and large ships cannot travel very fast.

Anonymous

LOL.reality check my foot. this isn’t a large ship. this is a destroyer type class which was converted to a coast guard duty. these type of ships are ten times fast than a container vessel that runs 16 to 18 knots. Billions you say? well they corrupted billions ! Pinoys are not stupid.. we’re are country with thousands of professional seafarers some work at the shipyard building a new model for commercial or military and that’s a reality for you!
Anonymous

LOL.reality check my foot. this isn’t a large ship. this is a destroyer type class which was converted to a coast guard duty. these type of ships are ten times fast than a container vessel that runs 16 to 18 knots. Billions you say? well they corrupted billions ! Pinoys are not stupid.. we’re are country with thousands of professional seafarers some work at the shipyard building a new model for commercial or military and that’s a reality for you!

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jason-Gerona/1385084187 Jason Gerona

hehehe, new daw eh… newly aquired pala, hindi new ship.

At mr. gutierez, hindi kami bobo, para sabihin mo na mas malaki maintenance nang bago kaysa luma. Siguro konompara mo ang bagong china made na motorsiklo at lumang honda. kaya mas mahal maintenance mo… eh, ano ba naman mapapala mo sa china motorcycle? puro sakit nang ulo diba?

Anonymous

If we are really an ally of the US, the US must lend us one aircraft carrier to guard our teritory particularly the Spratlys to counter China’s defense.

http://twitter.com/burndvinyard Burn Gutierrez

malimit naman pong nasa Pilipinas (or within the vicinity) ang mga aircraft carriers ng US. mahaba at magastos na training ang kakailanganin bago ma-master ng ating Navy ang pagpapatakbo ng isang carrier. kung sakali man na maisipan ng US na magpahiram ng carrier.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DRXM5DJDBWNZ6FEPZDIJYIATNA Billy Mosende

Sa babaw ng tubig sa Spratlys (kahit malayo ka pa lang), malamang di makakapaglayag ang aircraft carrier dun! anong tingin mo?

Filipino Mabuhay Ka

Beggars i guess cannot be choosers, our dear friends from the US, is this what your allies in the east are worth to you, 1965….., why not, fiberglass fast crafts…. we can build that here, easy to dart in and out of the small islands…

http://twitter.com/burndvinyard Burn Gutierrez

para po sa West Philippine Sea ang purpose ng Weather High Endurance cutter na Gregorio at dalawa pang parating late this year (or early 2012). 14,000 miles uninterrupted patrolling ang capability ng Hamilton class cutter na yan na hindi kaya ng brand new cutters. Hindi po kakayanin ng mga fast crafts na magpatrol sa buong Malampaya at West Philippine Sea. pagsisisihan po natin pag naubusan ng fuel ang mga suggestions nyo sa lawak po ng area na yun. tanging Hamilton class cutters lang ang fit sa requirement natin dyan.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_FOU3WGXHUDUDFG4JR7FZMJMAAU Great Gramo

Nice! Sana me mga 20 pang ganyan ang Pinas, sa laki ng dagat na sakop natin.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2BLVKWQR77VJKMEZWS4GIMLGOY Edzel

When was the purchase of this vessel initiated? Was it during the term of GMA? Was it during the term of P-Noy. Let us be transfarent. Negotiation for the purchase of the said vessel could not have been done recently. Huwag bilugin ang ulo namin.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7PHKC4FJZF5ZWYU43RAUEFKFGU allan

the cutter hamilton class was transferred to the phil navy last May 13,2011 only.

mmm choco

ano point mo?

Anonymous

Hey! Edzel as i google the purchase of the said vessel, is early this year, turned over last May 13, 2011. mag search ka nga lang. wag t@nga. at di naman po binibilog ulo mo kasi mahirap bilogin hugis question mark.. paki check mo na rin spelling mo
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DRXM5DJDBWNZ6FEPZDIJYIATNA Billy Mosende

mag-research ka para di ka lumabas na kahiya-hiya sa mga sinasabi mo. surprisingly, meron pang isang engot na sumang-ayon sa ýo! bwahahahihihi!!!!!

mmm choco

purchase po eto .hinde hingi! kuha nyo?

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2BLVKWQR77VJKMEZWS4GIMLGOY Edzel

may nagsabi bang hingi ito. bugok at ogag

Anonymous

Truly inspiring!

PNoy govt is delivering.

Godspeed PNoy.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_2BLVKWQR77VJKMEZWS4GIMLGOY Edzel

Hindi ko lang po alam kung aabot ang barko na ito sa mga sasakyang dagat ng mga Abu Sayaff
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T7XBF3CHW2WLPOBIBXLNDWATQA anonym ous

Reality check for the cynics out there:
1. Even 10-year-old ships cost BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

2. The US will not lend us aircraft carriers! That sort of technology is in the same league as nuclear weapons. They are also extremely expensive to maintain.

3. It is also extremely expensive to develop our own warships. Warship R&D is not that simple.
Anonymous

kailan kaya tayo magkakaroon ng bagong mga kasangkapan? 1965. wow. coast guard ship ng US, SURFACE COMBATANT ship nation!wow. di kaya gamin lang yan sa mga illegal nagawain?gaya nung nangyari ke Escano? ano na nangyari sa kaso.
alisin na LAHAT ng matatandang henerasyon sa sandatahang lakas. para malinis yan. NANINIWALA BA KAYO NA ME MABABAGO DYAN E ANG MAG NAKAUPO KASAMAHAN DIN NG MGA DATI?KAIDAD?KA HENERASYON.
linisin ang organsasyon…

Aquino to welcome new Philippine Navy ship

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