Rappler's latest stories on Philippine Navy
PH Navy christens first-ever brand new frigate, BRP Jose Rizal
Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo hails the new warship as 'the great milestone and accomplishment of the defense sector in decades'

Rex Robles, armed forces reformist, dies at 75
'He is one of the bright minds of the Philippine Navy. Everybody listens when he speaks,' says Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo
450 stranded travelers to leave for Cebu, Iloilo on board PH Navy ship
Philippine Navy officials say the humanitarian mission involves the 'biggest number of locally-stranded individuals transported in a single voyage by a Navy vessel so far'

After setbacks, PH Navy completes Middle East, India, Sri Lanka mission
Naval Task Force 82 set out to evacuate Filipinos from impending war in the Middle East but ended up facing a pandemic, a super cyclone, and engine fire. Now, they're finally home.

PH Navy's brand new frigate docks in Subic after 2-week quarantine
A christening and commissioning ceremony for the BRP Jose Rizal originally set for June 19 is postponed 'due to unavoidable circumstances,' says the Navy

PH Navy ships head home from India after super storm, repairs
On the way, the BRP Davao del Sur and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz will stop by Sri Lanka to pick up more stranded Filipinos

LOOK: PH Navy's 1st missile-ready warship arrives in Subic
BRP Jose Rizal is the most powerful and lethal of the Navy's warships
First time: PH Navy ship docks at Pag-asa Island
A new port and beaching ramp near completion on the country's largest outpost in the West Philippine Sea

PH Navy's brand new frigate to arrive May 23
The BRP Jose Rizal will be the most powerful, first ever missile-capable warship in the Philippine Fleet

PH Navy ship that caught fire returns to India, U.S. Navy to help in repairs
(UPDATED) With the BRP Ramon Alcaraz staying behind in India for repairs, the BRP Davao del Sur will sail to the Philippines without an escort, carrying 20 Filipino repatriates and a cargo of 200,000 face masks

Fire breaks out on PH Navy ship hours after leaving India
Two Navy sailors on the BRP Ramon Alcaraz sustain second-degree burns, and will be treated at a hospital in Cochin, India, where the Philippine Navy picked up stranded Filipinos and a cargo of 200,000 face masks

LOOK: PH Navy ships in India to pick up face masks, repatriate Filipino tourists
The naval vessels will bring home some 200,000 face masks donated by a Filipino businessman

Chinese warship targeted Philippine Navy vessel in West PH Sea – AFP
The hostile act is a clear violation of international law and Philippine sovereignty, says the AFP Western Command based in Palawan

LOOK: Philippines' presidential yacht set to take in coronavirus patients
BRP Ang Pangulo can accommodate 28 patients and 5 medical personnel, says the Philippine Navy

Navy to convert presidential yacht into quarantine ship
With physical distancing, the BRP Ang Pangulo can take in 28 patients and 5 medical staff, while its regular crew will remain onboard

LOOK: Military receives quarantine facility, medical equipment
The military are among the front liners battling the pandemic, and the AFP Medical Corps will be deployed to national quarantine centers to tend to PUMs, PUIs, and confirmed patients with mild symptoms

Duterte orders Navy to convert presidential yacht into coronavirus hospital
President Rodrigo Duterte wants the Philippine Navy to run the planned hospital yacht

Navy chief tests negative for virus; Army, Air Force chiefs in quarantine
They all came in contact with military chief General Felimon Santos Jr, who tested positive for the novel coronavirus on March 27

CA confirms army reservist Colonel Sara Duterte
The Commission on Appointments also confirms 21 senior officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines led by Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo

[ANALYSIS] Recalibrate the Philippine Navy’s compass before it even sets sail
'The Philippine Navy remains to have underlying institutional issues that continually challenge and disrupt the various programs of whoever is at the helm'

Naval Forces Northern Luzon leads search for missing Zambales fisherman
Rico Undocon put out to sea on January 30 and has been seen missing since

PH Navy wants harbor in Hanjin shipyard in Subic Bay
None of the Navy's current harbors are deep enough for its new warships, and Hanjin shipyard has the right depth and an ideal location, says Navy chief Rear Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo

New Navy chief wants 'modern systems, mindsets' as new assets replace ailing ships
Modernizing sailors' and marines' mindsets may be a bigger challenge than acquiring new ships and weapons, Rear Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo says as he assumes command of the Philippine Navy

Philippine Fleet commander Giovanni Carlo Bacordo is new Navy chief
A magna cum laude of his Philippine Military Academy class, Bacordo will replace Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad as the Navy's Flag Officer-in-Command on February 3, 2020

Philippine Navy mints first female commodore
Commodore Luzviminda Camacho is also the first woman to command a Navy ship, and the first female commander of Philippine peacekeepers deployed with the United Nations

LOOK: Dingdong Dantes now a lieutenant commander in PH Navy reserve force
The actor first enlisted as a Philippine Navy reservist in 2006

PH Navy launches web app to monitor procurements
An online database of the Navy's procurement projects and their progress will 'promote transparency and prevent corruption,' the Navy says

Duterte to PH Navy: Kill pirates, 'blow them until kingdom come'
The president mentions working with Indonesia and Malaysia to protect the seas from pirates, amid warming ties with China which is occupying the West PH Sea
PH Navy’s upcoming frigate begins sea trials in South Korea
The BRP Jose Rizal is expected to be delivered to the Philippines by May 2020, and will be the most powerful warship in the Philippine Fleet

PH Navy to build Fuga Island outpost ahead of Chinese 'smart city' plan
The government realizes the need to establish a military presence on the northern frontier island where a Chinese company plans to build a business hub
Rocco Nacino on Navy training: Not just for optics
Rocco, who is a Navy reservist, says members of the Marines and Navy are happy he can share his experience with others

Preliminary contract for new PH Navy warships signed in South Korea
The Navy chief says they're figuring out where to get the P28 billion to buy a pair of brand new corvettes, which will be the Philippines' most powerful warships – if the plan pushes through

Rappler Talk: Retired rear admiral Rommel Jude Ong on PH Navy's 'rebirth'
On Monday, November 4, Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug sits down with retired rear admiral Rommel Jude Ong to discuss the Philippine Navy's strategic vision for the future, among others

LOOK: Indian Navy ships on friendly visit to Manila
The Indian Navy sends its warships on a goodwill visit to the Philippines just days after the two countries signed a maritime security cooperation agreement
Philippines, U.S., Japan hold military drills near West PH Sea
Japan joins the yearly exercise for the first time as regional allies build 'interoperability' in responding to security threats and natural disasters

Marine commandant resigns amid rumored feud with Navy chief
Major General Alvin Parreño relinquishes his post 5 months before retiring and after a rift with Navy chief Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad, who had disagreed with a proposal to separate the Marines from the Navy

Lorenzana wants Australia exempted from Duterte's foreign loan ban
The defense department plans to enter a loan agreement with the Australian government to procure 6 offshore patrol vessels to be built in Cebu

WATCH: PH Navy debuts new amphibious vehicles, attack vessels
The Navy's brand new amphibious assault vehicles (AAV) and multipurpose attack craft (MPAC) boosts its capability to defend the Philippines' maritime domain

LIST: The Philippine Navy’s upcoming vessels
New warships and attack vessels are lined up for one of Asia-Pacific's most under-equipped navies
1st ASEAN-U.S. Maritime Exercise underway in Thailand
The drills are aimed at strengthening alliances among the US and Southeast Asian navies for 'an unparalleled advantage that no competitor or rival can match,' says a US Navy officer

LOOK: South Korean warships on friendly visit to Manila
The Philippines is set to acquire several new warships from South Korea
Philippines sends BRP Ramon Alcaraz off to ASEAN-U.S. naval drills
The Philippine Navy will participate in the first ever maritime exercises between the United States and ASEAN member states, as the region pushes back against China's expansionism

PH Navy to get submarines, might lease HQ
Racing to keep up with other countries' naval capabilities, the Philippines plans to acquire new warships and submarines, but it might lease its naval headquarters to help fund the asset-buying spree

Unfriendly, not hostile: Navy drafting protocols for warship intrusions
The Philippine Navy is working on protocols for foreign vessels 'intruding' in territorial waters, following President Rodrigo Duterte's order to enforce sovereignty even through 'unfriendly' ways

Navy personnel killed in Zambales bus-car collision
The victim's Kia Pride Sedan swerves into the opposite lane and smashes into a speeding bus

PH to buy 2 navy corvettes from South Korea, may receive 2 more
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana says the South Korean government plans to donate two of its navy’s old corvettes as the Philippines buys two brand new ones from Hyundai Heavy Industries

Lorenzana lauds Duterte’s warning to foreign vessels trespassing PH waters
The defense chief says the license to get compliance from unauthorized vessels even through an ‘unfriendly manner’ gives security forces authority to enforce the law

PH welcomes 'most powerful' warship BRP Conrado Yap
The corvette donated by South Korea significantly boosts the Philippines' anti-surface, anti-air, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities

Trillanes: Duterte admitted to 'plunder' in frigates deal in SONA
'These acts made the contract grossly disadvantageous to our government and left the Philippine Navy with an expensive platform with limited capabilities,' says former senator Antonio Trillanes IV of President Duterte's admission of he and then aide Bong Go's invovlement in the deal

Joint naval patrols can assert arbitral win in West Philippine Sea – Carpio
Joining naval powers in peaceful patrols in the West Philippine Sea effectively enforces the Philippines' legal victory over China, says Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio
