AN AMERICAN oceanographic research vessel pledged by United States President Barrack Obama last year had been formally turned over the Philippine Navy, a Navy official reported Friday.
Navy public affairs officer Captain Lued Lincuna said the US Navy's research vessel Melville was received by the Navy Thursday in christening and commissioning rites in San Diego, California last Wednesday.
The ship was received by a Navy contingent led by the Navy's Philippine Fleet deputy commander Commodore Narciso Vingson Jr. The party was accompanied by Defense Undersecretary Jesus Millan who represented Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.
The vessel, which will be known in the Philippines as BRP Gregorio Velasquez, left California for the Philippines on Friday, said Lincuna.
The ship is manned by 50 Navy personnel "who underwent preparatory training for familiarization and orientation on the operation and maintenance of various equipment aboard said vessel since March this year."
Obama pledged to transfer to the Philippines the ship, along with US Coast Guard cutter Boutwell, in November last year at the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Conference meeting.
Lincuna said USCG Boutwelll is scheduled to be turned over to the Navy this year though there is still no specific date when the transfer will take place.
The Navy has two former US coast cutters in its inventory at present, namely the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, which were acquired in 2011 and 2013, respectively.
"The research vessel will not only provide us capability for hydrographic survey, it will also become a platform for interagency collaboration for partners in the academe and thus improve awareness of our sub-surface environment," said Lincuna of the Navy's first research vessel.
Lincuna said the ship "would also be a valuable platform in reviewing our anti-submarine warfare capability."
"This acquisition also aims to address the issues in terms of marine scientific researches/surveys and to gather marine scientific data beneficial to naval operations. Also, said vessel will enhance capacity and build capability to support the environmental protection efforts and exploration of the country for economic purposes," said Lincuna.
Lincuna said the ship was named after Dr. Gregorio Velasquez in observance of a policy that auxiliary research vessels are to be named after national scientists.
He described Dr. Velasquez as a "pioneer in Philippine physiology."
Dr. Velasquez was elected as academician on 1978 and conferred as National Scientist in 1982.
Dr. Velasquez was also conferred with a Distinguished Science Medal and Diploma of Honor from the Republic of the Philippine in 1956, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in1956-57, Men of Science, Division of Biological Sciences in1969, World's Who's Who in Sciences in 1970 and the Republic of the Philippines Cultural Heritage award in 1972. (VR/Sunnex)