Philippine Navy’s newest warship arrives from US | BRP Gregorio del Pilar

Philippine Navy’s newest warship arrives from US | BRP Gregorio del Pilar – The Philippine Navy’s newest and biggest warship, the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, arrived in the country Wednesday afternoon after a two-week voyage from the US.

The ship, manned by 13 officers and 82 enlisted personnel under the command of Captain Alberto Cruz, entered the Philippine area of responsibility at 1 p.m. Wednesday.

“It is expected to pass the San Bernardino Strait off the Bicol region,” Navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Omar Tonsay said in a text message.

He said the ship is expected to anchor at the Manila Bay on Sunday around 8 a.m. to undergo customs, immigration and quarantine inspection.

Philippine Navy’s newest warship arrives from US | BRP Gregorio del Pilar

The formal arrival and welcome ceremony will be held at the Manila South Harbor on Tuesday next week, according to Tonsay.

The BRP Gregorio Del Pilar, a decommissioned US Coast Guard ship, left Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on August 1.

It made a brief stop in Guam and departed on August 14 to continue its voyage.

The 378-foot (115-meter) ship is the biggest and most modern warship in the Philippine Navy fleet, which are comprised mostly of World War II-vintage battleships.

Philippine Navy’s newest warship arrives from US | BRP Gregorio del Pilar