9 July 2013 - Deputy Consul General Daniel R. Espiritu formally sent off the newly-acquired Hamilton-class cutter of the Philippine Navy (PN), the BRP Alcaraz (PF-16), commanded by Capt. Ernesto O. Baldovino, at ceremonies held at the 52nd US Naval Base in San Diego, California on July 05.
The solemn ceremony was also attended by Lieutenant Commander Thomas S. Price, Navy Programs Chief of the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group Philippines (JUSMAGPHIL), a few selected Filipino-American U.S. Navy officers, Consulate Information Officer Cesar Angeles and leaders of the Filipino community.
The BRP Alcaraz, with its complement of 14 officers and 74 crew members, is now on her way to Guam and is expected to arrive in the Philippines on August 03.
Acquired by the Philippines under the Philippine-U.S. Excess Defense Article and Military Assistance Program, the naval vessel arrived in San Diego last June 28 after travelling 2,000 nautical miles from Charleston, South Carolina.
The new vessel, a sister ship of BRP Gregorio del Pilar, was named after Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, a Philippine Navy officer who distinguished himself in the Second World War. The ship is capable of conducting patrols for long periods of time and can withstand heavy weather and rough sea conditions.
In his interview with a Filipino television network, Deputy Consul General Espiritu said that the BRP Alcaraz is a modest addition to the naval arsenal of the Philippines under its long-overdue Military Modernization Program, and is defensive in character, consistent with the peace-loving foreign policy of the Republic of the Philippines and its adherence to the rule of international law. END