Ex-US ship sails for Phl
A former US Navy research ship commissioned as BRP Gregorio Velasquez has sailed out of Pearl Harbor en route to its new home in the Philippines, the Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu said yesterday.
The US government formally transferred the ownership and turned over the research vessel during an April 27 ceremony in San Diego, California. The vessel was originally R/V Melville.
Gregorio Velasquez arrived at Pearl Harbor on May 7 and left on May 12 for Guam and the Philippines. It is not clear when it is expected to arrive in the Philippines.
The officers and crew of Gregorio Velasquez received lei garlands from the officers and staff of the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu led by Consul General Gina Jamoralin and Captain Rey de la Cruz, Armed Forces of the Philippines liaison officer to the US Pacific Command. Also present during the ceremonies were some members of the Filipino community led by Allan Alvarez, president of the Philippine Celebrations Coordinating Committee of Hawaii (PCCH). Gregorio Velasquez commanding officer Commander Edwin Nera said it took them nine days to reach the historic Pearl Harbor from San Diego. The surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941 forced the US to declare war on Japan.
At Pearl Harbor, consulate staff and Filipino community members toured the research vessel, for which Jamoralin thanked the ship’s officers and crew.
The Philippines will use the newly acquired research vessel for the navy’s scientific research, disaster and humanitarian operations and other maritime activities.
Launched in 1968, the then R/V Melville would later be placed on the US Defense Department’s list of excess equipment slated for turnover to the Philippines for the latter’s oceanographic research.
The Gregorio Velasquez will be the Philippines’ first dedicated marine research vessel.
The US has been trying to help the Philippines bolster its maritime presence in the West Philippine Sea in the face of China’s heightened assertiveness in staking its claim in the region. China is claiming almost the entire South China Sea, citing historical records.