Crew of BRP Ramon Alcaraz savor Filipino food while on high seas

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 20): Crew of BRP Ramon Alcaraz savor Filipino food while on high seas

If you think the officers and crew of the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16), the country's second Hamilton-class cutter in service, are being stinted on food while on its voyage back to the Philippines, think again.

One of the officers tasked to document the Filipino frigate's return trip, Lt. (junior grade) Errol N. Dela Cruz, revealed they had "sinampalukang kambing" and "kalderata" for lunch on July 19.

The ship at that time was 285 nautical miles south of Oahu Islands, Hawaii at that time.

"Do you care for some 'sinampalukang kambing' and 'kaldereta' in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? Yes, that is our lunch. Crave," Dela Cruz wrote on the BRP Ramon Alcaraz's blog.

Aside from having good food, the Navy officer also said that ship's crew saw numerous dolphins and were never really bored as the BRP Ramon Alcaraz has its own gym and karaoke machine for amusement.

BRP Ramon Alcaraz left Hawaii on July 17 for its Guam port call. Hawaii to Guam is around 3,828 miles or around 6,160 kilometers.

The Filipino frigate arrived at Hawaii last July 13 and was given a warm welcome by the Filipino community there.

During its stay in Hawaii, the crew headed by Capt. Ernesto Baldovino toured the USS Arizona Memorial.

Also, five enlisted personnel of the BRP Ramon Alcaraz took their oaths of re-enlistment.

These included EN2 Regidor Labrador, EN3 Tomas Ciruelos Jr., EN3 Ernesto Cabahug, S2YN Erica Celemin and EN3 Marlon Martonito.

The Philippine frigate departed Charleston, South Carolina last June 10 passing through San Diego and Florida.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=546164