Subic, Zambales – The Philippine Navy officially welcomed its newest warship, the future BRP Miguel Malvar (FFG06), during an arrival ceremony with Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. as the Guest of Honor and Speaker on April 08, 2025, at Naval Operating Base Subic, Zambales.
Also present were General Romeo Brawner Jr. PA, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; H.E. Sang-Hwa Lee, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines; Vice Admiral Jose Ma Ambrosio Ezpeleta PN, Flag Officer In Command of the Philippine Navy; Rear Admiral Joe Anthony Orbe PN, Commander of the Philippine Fleet; and Captain Paul Michael Hechanova PN(GSC), Commanding Officer of BRP Miguel Malvar.
BRP Miguel Malvar arrived from South Korea on April 4, 2025. It measures 118.4 meters long, with a range of 4,500 nautical miles, a cruising speed of 15 knots, and a maximum speed of 25 knots. Armed with advanced sensors and weapons systems, it is also capable of anti-ship, anti-submarine, and anti-aircraft missions.
“BRP Miguel Malvar is here today, not only to serve as a deterrent and as a protector of our waters, but also as an important component—not only in joint operations, but in the equally important combined operations—as we learn with other countries to work with one another, in the spirit of upholding norms of international law,” said Secretary Teodoro.
He also emphasized key areas of focus in the country’s defense strategy: developing core capabilities and systems, ensuring sustainable revenue sources for sustainment, continuous training and education of personnel, and integrating domain awareness and response systems to establish a unified, multi-domain defense posture.
Secretary Teodoro further highlighted the Philippines’ enduring partnership with the Republic of Korea, thanking them for their continued support in building sustainable, resilient, and job-generating defense capabilities. “We thank our reliable partners, the people and the government of the Republic of Korea, not only in providing capabilities, but in building sustainability, redundancy, and resilience through actual capital investments,” he said.
As the newest addition to the Philippine Navy fleet, the future BRP Miguel Malvar strengthens the country’s maritime defense and marks another milestone in the ongoing AFP Modernization Program.