Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. stated that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is gearing up towards developing a self-reliant and credible defense posture with the arrival of the Philippine Navy’s newest warship on Tuesday, April 8.
Teodoro led the arrival ceremony for the soon-to-be-commissioned BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06), a newly acquired corvette, at the Naval Operating Base in Subic, Zambales.
The anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-aircraft capable BRP Miguel Malvar is the lead ship of its class, acquired by the Philippines from the Republic of Korea through a P28-billion deal entered into by the defense department with Korean HD Hyundai Industries in 2021. The second ship, to be named BRP Diego Silang (FFG-07), is expected to be delivered by the end of April this year.
Aside from the two corvettes, the navy also expects to add to its fleet two ships each year until 2028.
During the ceremony, the defense chief outlined four key areas that the DND and AFP will be focusing on, which include: developing core capabilities and strategic basing; identifying continuous sources of revenue for sustainment; training and education; and integrating domain awareness and multi-threat response systems.
“This includes, not only investing in capabilities, but once again, training capable and competent people in the appropriate technical skills,” he said.
“Miguel Malvar is here today not only to serve as a deterrent and protector of our waters, but also as an important component in joint and combined operations as we work alongside allies and uphold the norms of international law,” he added.
Teodoro also acknowledged the enduring partnership with the Republic of Korea, citing their continued support in providing capabilities and investments that promote sustainability, resilience, and job creation.
“We thank our reliable partners, the people and the government of the Republic of Korea… not only in providing capabilities, but in building sustainability, redundancy, and resilience through actual capital investments,” he said, noting that developing a “blue economy” is anchored on a strong navy as its backbone and spine, which is one of the hallmarks of an investment horizon for the country.
“So, this is our offering to those that went before us, to the heroes who went before us, who we will honor tomorrow,” he stated.
