Vintage Navy ships taken off the shelf

By: Victor Reyes

Malaya, Friday, December 10, 2010

THE Navy yesterday decommissioned three vintage ships.

It is coordinating with the donors of the two patrol ships and a patrol gunboat prior to selling these as scrap metal.

Parts of these vessels have already been removed and used for other Navy ships.

"If we needed spares, we just goet them from these (now decommissioned ships)," said Capt. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, Navy spokesman.

"They are beyond economic repair. It will entail a lot of cost if they are going to be revived so we preferred to remove them from the inventory of the Philippine Navy," said Bacordo.

Bacordo also said the decommissioning of the ships would not have effect on the Navy’s operational capability because these have not been used for a long while, remaining idle at Sangley Point in Cavite City, home of the Philippine Fleet.

He said the two patrol ships, PS 29 or BRP Negros Occidental and PS 23 or BRP Datu Marikudo, were donated by the US after the World War II and are 67 years old.

The gunboat (PG 844 or BRP Jose Artiaga) saw action with the Philippine Navy in 1993 after their donation by South Korea. It is about 30 years old.

With the decommissioning of the three ships, the Navy is left with 99 patrol, transport, and auxiliary ships and small craft, many of them also ageing. Of the number, 54 are operational, the Navy said.

Navy decommissions 3 WW II patrol boats

By: Alexis Romero

Philippine Star, Friday, December 10, 2010

SANGLEY POINT– Three World War II-era Navy patrol boats given by the United States were decommissioned yesterday.

Navy spokesman Capt. Giovanni Bacordo said the 67-year-old patrol boats, which saw action in World War II, will be sold as scrap metal.

“We have a Navy disposal committee,” he said.

Capt. Noel de Vera, Navy shipyard commander, said they have to get approval from the Armed Forces chief and the Joint United States Military Advisory Committee (JUSMAG) before they can proceed with the bidding.

The Navy disposal committee is still assessing the value of the decommissioned vessels, he added, Bacordo said only four of the 10 Navy auxiliary ships are operational.

Among the 32 small craft, 23 are operational, with an average age of 21 years old, he added.

Bacordo said the Navy budget cannot bankroll the purchase of new assets because 70 percent of the outlay goes to the salary of personnel.

The rest is for maintenance and operational expenses, he added.

Navy data showed that out of the 53 ships in the inventory, only 25 are operational.

These patrol boats are, on average, 36 years old.

The bigger ships like mine sweeper frigates and patrol craft escorts are 66 and 67 years old.

PH, Royal Brunei navies in joint exercises

By: Phoebe Jen Indino

Manila Bulletin, Friday, December 10, 2010

CAMP LAPU-LAPU, Cebu City, Philippines — The Ambassador of the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam to the Philippines, Her Excellency, Malai Majah Haji Yussof, along with officers of the Royal Brunei Navy paid a courtesy visit to Lt. Gen. Ralph Villanueva, Commander, Central Command earlier this week at the start of the bilateral maritime training activity between the Philippine Navy and Royal Brunei Navy.

The Royal Brunei Navy is here for a six-day bilateral training exercises with the Philippine Navy in Cebu, from December 6 to 12.

Around 130 uniformed personnel of the Philippine Navy are expected to participate in the six-day training exercise together with some 56 officers and men of the Royal Brunei Navy.

Said bilateral maritime training exercise between the navies of the two countries is conducted every two years to enhance both their capabilities in maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

In an interview, Ensign Joseph Ison, Public Information Officer of the Naval Forces Central (NAVFORCEN), said that this year, the training will be focused largely on cross training.

Ison added that there will also be an exchange of some of the best practices from both navies. “We are expected to learn from them even as we share with them our best practices and vice versa,” he said.

Moreover, the six-day training will also include a series of lectures and demonstrations and, on the last, day, debriefing sessions will be held and plaques exchanged between members of both naval forces.

The lectures will touch on Disaster Response at Sea, Maritime Interdiction Operation and Visit Board Search and Seizure. (Phoebe Jen Indino)

2 Navy personnel cited in London for bravery

By: Elena Aben

Manila Bulletin, November 27, 2010

MANILA, Philippines — Two Philippine Navy personnel received commendation from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, in recognition of their gallant acts during the evacuation and rescue of passengers of the ill-fated Super Ferry 9 that sank off Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte in September 2009.

Twelve people perished from the incident while more than 900 were saved from the tragedy.

Capt. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, acting Navy spokesman, said Gunnersmate 3rd Class Anifer Bucao and Fireman 1st Class Aviation Mechanic Oliver Cogo were presented the certificates of commendation on November 25 at the IMO headquarters in London.

On September 10, 2009, the Navy Flag Officer-in-Command (FOIC) Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez also presented to Bucao and Cogo, members of the four-man Task Force Sea Marshal, the “Distinguished Navy Cross,” the highest award the command can bestow, also for their “sound judgment” and swift action during the incident.

Bacordo said the IMO gave the award in recognition of the duo’s actions in assisting in the evacuation and disembarkation of the panicked-stricken passengers of the severely listing ship. He added the same recognition will be presented to Petty Officer 2nd Class Samuel Boniol of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The certificates were presented to the two Navy personnel by His Excellency Eftimios Mitropoulos, IMO Secretary General, during the 88th session of the Maritime Safety Commission Meeting in London.

Bacordo said the IMO Council, during its 104th session held June 7 to 11, decided the said sea marshals should receive the certificates with their actions after the ship listed and the captain issued an order to abandon the ship at around 3:00 a.m. The ship sank six hours later.

Bucao and Cogo became nominees for the 2010 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.

During the presentation of the Distinguished Navy Cross medal to the duo in 2009, the former Navy chief said Cogo was the last person to jump off the sinking ship on that fateful day.

Disregarding his own safety, Cogo said he did not leave the ship until he was sure there was no one else left on board the vessel. Based on his narration, among those he was able to help safely disembark from the sinking ferry were 15 children, the last of whom was a special child he recalled kept punching him then.

Bucao admitted fearing for his own life but still managed to maintain presence of mind. He said he decided to jump off the sinking vessel only after making sure there was no one else left in his sector.

The two Navy personnel helped distribute lifejackets while trying to calm down the passengers by telling them that rescue is on its way.

The abandon ship order was announced by the captain at about 3:35 a.m. but it was already around 8 a.m. when Cogo jumped off the ship. As he jumped into the sea, Cogo said he noticed a man having difficulty with his lifejacket so he decided to throw his lifejacket to the man, thinking that he can handle the situation better than the civilian because of his training. Without any life support, Cogo swam as fast as he could, away from the sinking SuperFerry 9 until he reached one of the navy vessels that responded to the distress call.

An order signed by Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue, then Chief of Naval Staff, stated, “Upon hearing the ship master's command to abandon ship, Bucao and Cogo disregarded personal safety and voluntarily remained on board to provide aid and comfort to disoriented passengers.”