THE Philippine Navy’s Fast Frigate, BRP-Gregorio Del Pilar (FF15), is holding a two-day “open house” activity at the port of Zamboanga City.
The BRP-Gregorio Del Pilar docked at the local port on Sunday, December 10, for the two-day event. The open house ends Monday, December 11.
Rear Admiral Rene Medina, Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) commander, said the open house activity is to showcase its capability as a Fast Frigate as well as to give opportunity to the residents of Zamboanga City for a guided tour aboard ship.
Medina said the ship is open for public visitation from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The conduct of the Open House will be facilitated by the Naval Reserve Center-Western Mindanao (NRCen-WM), Civil Military Operations Unit- Western Mindanao (CMOU-WM) and in coordination with all the units of Naval Forces Western Mindanao and the Municipality of Zamboanga City.
BRP-Gregorio Del Pilar is under the command of Captain Ireneo D Battung. The vessel is manned by an 80-man crew.
Medina said the arrival of BRP-Gregorio Del Pilar is aimed to promote peace, develop friendly relations and bring the Philippine Navy and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) closer to the hearts of the Zamboanguenos and of the Filipino people in general.
The BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (FF15) is the first Del Pilar Class ship of the Philippine Navy which was commissioned last December 14, 2011.
It was also the second ship named after the revolutionary general, Gregorio Del Pilar, during the Battle of Tirad Pass.
The ship along with one of the PN’s Landing Docks, BRP Tarlac (LD601) recently participated in the ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercises 2017 (AMNEX) held Sattahip and Pattaya Bay in Thailand from November 13 to 22, 2017.
The AMNEX is a maritime security collaboration of navies in Southeast Asia Region which is in conjunction with the commemoration of the 50th Asean founding anniversary. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)