Captain's Log: 022082010
After serving three months of patrolling duties across the Spratly's, we return to Sangley Point Naval Base for some major overhaul. I've heard from Admiral Dimaculangan last week that we will receive a state of the art electronic guidance system from China. It was delivered several months before the president stepped down to give way for the newly elected leader. I hope that the long-overdue refit will enable us to pursue hostile vessels that are increasingly becoming faster than our ancient ship.
"Sir hindi ba kayo bababa para bumisita kay misis?"
"Hindi, marami pa akong trabaho kaya maiiwan na lang ako dito," I said to a junior officer who was about to leave the ship.
The installation would take around five days to complete. It doesn't include the rearmament that will take at least two days to finish. Meanwhile, since most of my men have not seen their families for almost a year, I decided to give them a week-long R&R break. I hope that their stay with their families would put their spirits up.
In those three agonizing months, we pursued four Chinese Fishing Boats, a Vietnamese Pirate Ship and responded to an SOS call of a Cruise Ship bound for Shanghai. It had an engine breakdown near Pag-Asa Island. There is no doubt that we arrived first at the scene to assist the passengers. The Singaporeans arrived a few days later with a navy frigate and a tugboat in tow. We wanted to protest their incursion into Philippine Waters, but the high command had given them permission to conduct the rescue operations themselves. After all, the ship in trouble was owned by a Singaporean Cruise Line.
I can still picture the Singaporean Frigate inside my head. It was painted Ash Grey; it had an angular surface that gave the ship its impressive sleekness; there were no visible exhaust that leaves a trail of the ship's presence. It was almost like the vessel had come from the future. Compared to our Rajah Humabon that is older than my grandfather, I can't help but feel a sense of embarrassment for my country. I bet my ass that the Vietnamese Navy who was reported to be patrolling the area we control has a more powerful warship than us.
I'm not the only one who feels the same for the Singaporean frigate. The whole time their ship was on our starboard, I had a hard time telling my men to return to their stations for they keep on taking pictures and waving at the navy personnel aboard the ship. Some were even too starstruck to hear my commands. Starry-eyed, they gazed at the ship, which according to them looked more like an "espeyship" than a "bapor." Life at the frontier had indeed made us too undisciplined that when you put one of my men beside a Singaporean navy officer of the same rank, mine would look like their rugged and greasy counterpart.
I don't know if I would ever get to command such vessel in the course of my career. I am 34 and is considered the youngest captain to command a flagship. On the other hand, I don't dream of piloting such ship either. I am already happy leading my men in scaring away foreign poachers and watching over a couple of villages scattered all over Spratly Islands. However, if they discover Natural Gas in one of the islands, or if the Chinese sends more ships in the area, hopefully, President Roxas will have the balls to respond in kind to these aggressors.
This way, we will regain our honor and reclaim our long-denied distinction of being a true Mandirigmang Mandaragat ng Pilipinas.
BRP Rajah Humabon
Class and type: Datu Kalantiaw class
Type: Destroyer Escort / Frigate
Displacement: 1,390 tons standard, 1,620 tons full load
Length: 306 ft (93 m)
Beam: 36.66 ft (11.17 m)
Draft: 8.75 ft (2.67 m) 8.75 ft
Installed power: 5,800 hp
Propulsion: 2 x EMP 16-645E7 (Turbo) Diesel Engines
4 generators
2 motors
2 shafts
Speed: 21 knots (maximum)
Range: 10,800 mi at 12 knots
Complement: 165
Sensors and
processing systems:
* Raytheon SPS-64(V)11 [2]
* Raytheon SPS-5 G/H-band Surface Search Radar
* RCA/GE Mk26 I-band Navigation Radar
* SQS-17B Hull mounted Sonar
* Mk52 GFCS with Mk41 Rangefinder for 3 in. guns
* 3 Mk51 GFCS for 40 mm.[3]
Armament:
* 3 × 3"/50 caliber gun Mk22 dual purpose guns
* 3 × Mk1 Mod2 Twin 60 caliber Bofors 40 mm gun
* 6 × Mk10 70 caliber Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
* 4 x 50 caliber 12.7 mm machine guns
The BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11) is the current flagship, and the largest warship of the Philippine Navy. It is also the last Destroyer Escort / Frigate active in its fleet, and is considered as one of its oldest active ships, and in the world.
After serving three months of patrolling duties across the Spratly's, we return to Sangley Point Naval Base for some major overhaul. I've heard from Admiral Dimaculangan last week that we will receive a state of the art electronic guidance system from China. It was delivered several months before the president stepped down to give way for the newly elected leader. I hope that the long-overdue refit will enable us to pursue hostile vessels that are increasingly becoming faster than our ancient ship.
"Sir hindi ba kayo bababa para bumisita kay misis?"
"Hindi, marami pa akong trabaho kaya maiiwan na lang ako dito," I said to a junior officer who was about to leave the ship.
The installation would take around five days to complete. It doesn't include the rearmament that will take at least two days to finish. Meanwhile, since most of my men have not seen their families for almost a year, I decided to give them a week-long R&R break. I hope that their stay with their families would put their spirits up.
In those three agonizing months, we pursued four Chinese Fishing Boats, a Vietnamese Pirate Ship and responded to an SOS call of a Cruise Ship bound for Shanghai. It had an engine breakdown near Pag-Asa Island. There is no doubt that we arrived first at the scene to assist the passengers. The Singaporeans arrived a few days later with a navy frigate and a tugboat in tow. We wanted to protest their incursion into Philippine Waters, but the high command had given them permission to conduct the rescue operations themselves. After all, the ship in trouble was owned by a Singaporean Cruise Line.
I can still picture the Singaporean Frigate inside my head. It was painted Ash Grey; it had an angular surface that gave the ship its impressive sleekness; there were no visible exhaust that leaves a trail of the ship's presence. It was almost like the vessel had come from the future. Compared to our Rajah Humabon that is older than my grandfather, I can't help but feel a sense of embarrassment for my country. I bet my ass that the Vietnamese Navy who was reported to be patrolling the area we control has a more powerful warship than us.I'm not the only one who feels the same for the Singaporean frigate. The whole time their ship was on our starboard, I had a hard time telling my men to return to their stations for they keep on taking pictures and waving at the navy personnel aboard the ship. Some were even too starstruck to hear my commands. Starry-eyed, they gazed at the ship, which according to them looked more like an "espeyship" than a "bapor." Life at the frontier had indeed made us too undisciplined that when you put one of my men beside a Singaporean navy officer of the same rank, mine would look like their rugged and greasy counterpart.
I don't know if I would ever get to command such vessel in the course of my career. I am 34 and is considered the youngest captain to command a flagship. On the other hand, I don't dream of piloting such ship either. I am already happy leading my men in scaring away foreign poachers and watching over a couple of villages scattered all over Spratly Islands. However, if they discover Natural Gas in one of the islands, or if the Chinese sends more ships in the area, hopefully, President Roxas will have the balls to respond in kind to these aggressors.
This way, we will regain our honor and reclaim our long-denied distinction of being a true Mandirigmang Mandaragat ng Pilipinas.
BRP Rajah Humabon
Class and type: Datu Kalantiaw class
Type: Destroyer Escort / Frigate
Displacement: 1,390 tons standard, 1,620 tons full load
Length: 306 ft (93 m)
Beam: 36.66 ft (11.17 m)
Draft: 8.75 ft (2.67 m) 8.75 ft
Installed power: 5,800 hp
Propulsion: 2 x EMP 16-645E7 (Turbo) Diesel Engines
4 generators
2 motors
2 shafts
Speed: 21 knots (maximum)
Range: 10,800 mi at 12 knots
Complement: 165
Sensors and
processing systems:
* Raytheon SPS-64(V)11 [2]* Raytheon SPS-5 G/H-band Surface Search Radar
* RCA/GE Mk26 I-band Navigation Radar
* SQS-17B Hull mounted Sonar
* Mk52 GFCS with Mk41 Rangefinder for 3 in. guns
* 3 Mk51 GFCS for 40 mm.[3]
Armament:
* 3 × 3"/50 caliber gun Mk22 dual purpose guns
* 3 × Mk1 Mod2 Twin 60 caliber Bofors 40 mm gun
* 6 × Mk10 70 caliber Oerlikon 20 mm cannon
* 4 x 50 caliber 12.7 mm machine guns
The BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11) is the current flagship, and the largest warship of the Philippine Navy. It is also the last Destroyer Escort / Frigate active in its fleet, and is considered as one of its oldest active ships, and in the world.
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