Noy on Navy: From war vintage to modern fleet

MANILA, Philippines – Navy chief Vice Admiral Caesar Taccad gave President Aquino a parting gift yesterday – promising to always defend “what is ours” – as the commander-in-chief spoke to them for the last time and said he was leaving behind a naval force that had turned from vintage World War II to a modern fleet.

In his speech during the 118th anniversary celebration of the Navy after the commissioning of the BRP Tarlac, Taccad said at present, the naval force was faced with a similar situation that prompted its establishment 118 years ago.

“Today, the enemy stands at our doorstep and we can no longer over-exaggerate the urgency of the threat against our maritime interests and possibly our territorial integrity,” Taccad said.

“The need for our country to bring more focus to territorial defense is more pronounced than ever, a need which we have to answer even while we are addressing our internal security problems. Our commander-in-chief once said, ‘what is ours is ours.’ Sir, rest assured that your Navy will abide by its duty to defend and protect what is rightfully ours,” Taccad added.

While Taccad did not mention the West Philippine Sea dispute with China and other claimant-countries, Aquino thanked the Navy for their faithful service to the Filipino people, including protecting the country’s sovereignty, while the government did its part to strengthen their ranks.

The President said the Navy had been reliable, from focusing on internal security to an intensified patrolling and guarding of the country’s territory, the West Philippine Sea; to assisting the people especially in times of disaster and calamity.

“With the overlapping problems the Philippines had to face, you also showed overlapping wisdom, ability and strength. That is why, in the name of every Filipino that you keep at peace and away from dangers: thank you very much,” Aquino said.

Aquino said he was lucky with Taccad and his predecessors in the Navy, as they have always been alert and dependable, never making any excuses in carrying out their missions.

Before the anniversary celebration, Aquino commissioned the BRP Tarlac, the first of two amphibious landing dock vessels of the Navy.

Sailors march past the BRP Tarlac, the country’s first ever strategic sealift vessel, during a commissioning ceremony for newly acquired ships at the South harbor in Manila yesterday. KRIZJOHN ROSALES

BRP Tarlac, a strategic sealift vessel made in Indonesia and named after the President’s home province, is the biggest ship of the Navy to date.

“Compared to our older vessels, this is faster, more dependable and can carry a lot more. This will be of great help to our force’s service. This will serve as multi-role vessel that can be used not only for military operations but for humanitarian assistance, disaster response, sealift and logistics, mobile government administration, search and rescue and mass evacuation,” Aquino said.

“By next year, we expect the arrival of another ship like this,” the President said.

Also christened were three Australian-made landing craft heavies named Agta, Iwak and Waray.  

“We now have these kinds of vessel that will help in the humanitarian assistance at disaster response,” he said.

This month, Aquino said RV Melville, with a general purpose oceanographic research vessel, would arrive and help in our seabed and ocean floor mapping.

The President said it was his last speech before the Navy as he prepares to leave office on June 30.

He said he could not help but look back at what they had gone through.

“I know that despite limited resources, it is your duty to guard our 36,000-kilometer coastline day and night as well as our exclusive economic zones and territorial waters. As a soldier, before you get promoted, you would need enormous amount of time in sea command, but the painful thing is, there seemed to be nothing to command,” Aquino said.  – With Jaime Laude