15 April 2014 - The BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PF-15) conducted a goodwill visit to Brunei Darussalam from April 5 to 7, after participating in the multilateral humanitarian assistance/disaster relief (HA/DR) exercise Komodo 2014 held in Batam, Indonesia from March 28 to April 03.

The BRP Gregorio Del Pilar is the Philippines’ largest and most modern warship and one of the two Hamilton-class ships acquired by the Philippines from the United States. The warship was commissioned by the Philippine Navy in December 2011 and is the second naval ship named after revolutionary General Gregorio Del Pilar, hero of the Battle of Tirad Pass.

In a cocktail reception held aboard the warship on April 06, Rear Admiral Jesus C. Millan thanked the Government of His Majesty The Sultan and the people of Brunei for their quick response and meaningful assistance to the victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). He noted that Brunei was among the first countries to send much-needed assistance and relief goods to the stricken provinces of Leyte and Samar.

Before departing for Subic, Zambales, BRP Gregorio Del Pilar was able to load an additional 108 boxes of relief goods collected by members of the Filipino community in Brunei Darussalam intended for Yolanda-affected communities.

The short visit enabled Philippine Navy officers and enlisted men to interact with their counterparts from the Royal Brunei Navy, particularly in friendly sports competitions such as basketball, futsal, and tug-of-war.

Philippine Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Nestor Z. Ochoa noted, “Generally, the port visit attained more than its desired objective to foster relations with Brunei, particularly with the Brunei Royal Navy. We thank the Royal Brunei Navy for their superb hospitality, support, and cooperation in making the port visit a tremendous success,” he added. END