PH Navy receives first guided-missile corvette

(Photo from the Department of National Defense)

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Navy’s first of two guided-missile corvette, to be named BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06), arrived in the country from South Korea on Tuesday, according to the Department of National Defense (DND).

The DND said Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. led the arrival ceremony at the Naval Operating Base in Subic, Zambales.

In a statement on Tuesday, Teodoro said the arrival of the corvette “is a critical step toward developing a self-reliant and credible defense posture.”

“Miguel Malvar is here today not only to serve as a deterrent and protector of our waters, but also as an important component in joint and combined operations as we work alongside allies and uphold the norms of international law,” Teodoro said.

“One of the hallmarks of an investment horizon for this country is the blue economy. How can you develop a blue economy if you do not have a strong navy? You need a strong navy as an anchor, as a backbone, as a spine of the blue economy. So, this is our offering to those that went before us, to the heroes who went before us, who we will honor tomorrow,” he added.

The corvette, named after a Philippine revolutionary general and hero, was manufactured by Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea.

The brand-new 3,100-ton corvettes, which have antiship, antisubmarine, and antiaircraft capabilities, are part of a P28 billion deal the country signed with Hyundai in 2021.

Hyundai also built the Navy’s most modern ships, frigates BRP Jose Rizal and BRP Antonio Luna.