THE Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Andres Centino visited Subic Bay in Zambales over the weekend and checked three of the five Philippine Navy ships docked there.
Checking on the morale, capability and readiness of troops, the top military chief has spent the past days visiting units and military camps in Northern Luzon, including Itbayat in Batanes.
On Saturday, Centino, fresh from a visit to a Marine base in Ilocos Norte, went to Subic and inspected the modern warfare capabilities of the three vessels of the Navy’s Philippine Fleet.
The chief of staff boarded BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), the Navy’s missile-armed frigate which recently gained anti-submarine warfare capability through the arrival of the AW159 ASW “Wildcat” helicopter.
The FF-151 conducts multi-role operations and is equipped with surface-to-air missiles. It is the second ship of the Navy’s Jose Rizal-class, missile-guided frigates that is capable of anti-surface warfare (ASUW), anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-air warfare (AAW).
Centino also checked on the equipment aboard BRP Conrado Yap (PS-39) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16), and subsequently addressed all the sailors of the three warships and those aboard the two other vessels, BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17) and BRP Davao del Sur (LD602).
During his “talk to the troops,” the chief of staff underscored the military’s efforts in further developing the capabilities of its naval assets as it gradually shifts its focus from internal security to territorial defense operations.
“Being an adviser to the President and the Secretary of National Defense, it is important that I have firsthand knowledge of our ships’ capabilities by inspecting and visiting them myself,” he told the sailors.
“Even more important is seeing our competent and dedicated troops who continue to develop their skills to better perform their mission,” he added.
Centino commended the troops for their professionalism and dedication despite the challenges they are facing.
“Because of our continued presence and maritime patrols, we are able to deter intruders from entering our territorial waters, therefore keeping our people safe and our country protected,” he said.
On Friday, the chief of staff visited the headquarters of the 4th Marine Brigade
(MBde)located in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, considered as the military’s northernmost camp, and commended the unit for its role in territorial defense.
The 4th MBde deployed personnel to the different naval and marine detachments, including the ones in Itbayat, Mavulis, Fuga and Calayan Islands, in Batanes and Cagayan.
The Marine brigade is tasked with maintaining territorial integrity and conducting peace and security operations and assisting in humanitarian assistance and disaster response in the provinces located at the edge of the country’s territory in the north.
“Thank you for your service. I hope that you also understand the importance of our mission here and in the islands further north of our borders,” Centino told the troops.
“What we are doing is of national significance. Our presence in those islands is very important to ensure that we monitor and identify those who enter and pass through those waters,” he said.
Before going to Burgos, Centino visited the soldiers deployed in various islands of Batanes, including Mavulis, dubbed the country’s “northern frontier.”
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/07/03/centino-visits-navy-vessels-in-subic-northern-frontier/
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