ILOILO City – The Philippine Navy’s most advanced frigate, BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG-06), steamed into Iloilo City this week in a high-profile stopover to test its combat readiness and give the public a close look at the country’s newest maritime defense asset.
Fresh from its commissioning, the South Korean-built vessel is armed with state-of-the-art weapon systems — including a 76mm Super Rapid Gun, a 35mm Close-in Weapon System, a Vertical Launching System, a decoy launching system, and surface-to-surface missiles — designed to bolster territorial defense and maritime security under the Navy’s operational commands.
“This is new equipment, and just like a car, you road test it before declaring it ready for full use,” said Captain Paul Hechanova, the ship’s commanding officer.
He explained that the Iloilo stop is part of a series of visits across the Visayas to assess the ship’s performance, train its crew on advanced systems, and showcase naval capabilities to local communities.
“We want people to appreciate where our taxes are going,” Hechanova added.
The frigate has already completed missions from Luzon to Palawan, with Iloilo as the second leg before sailing to Cebu for further patrols, and possibly Mindanao if the testing phase proves successful.
Named after General Miguel Malvar of Batangas, a revolutionary leader and hero of the Philippine-American War, the BRP Miguel Malvar belongs to the third batch of modern warships acquired under the Navy’s ongoing modernization program, which also includes fast attack crafts and smaller missile boats./PN