The Philippine Consulate General of Honolulu led by Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin, together with members of the Filipino- American community in Honolulu as well as USPACOM officials welcomed the officers and crew of the BRP Andres Bonifacio led by Capt. Brendo J. Casaclang, Commanding Officer to Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam on November 15-18, 2016.
The BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17), is the third Hamilton class cutter in the Philippine Navy (PN) service after the BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (FF-15) and BRP Ramon Alcaraz (FF-16), which were acquired in 2011 and 2013, respectively. This is the second PN ship named Andres Bonifacio. The first BRP Andres Bonifacio (PF-7) was commissioned by the PN on July 27, 1976 and decommissioned on September 30, 1993.
The BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF-17), armed with a 76mm Oto Melara auto-cannon, and with a cruising speed of 29 knots, arrived in Pearl Harbor on 15 November 2015. The ship will perform sea patrols, humanitarian and disaster response operations, and will also serve as a laboratory for maritime security training, rescue operations and maritime law enforcement for the Philippine Navy.
Among the attendees are Consul General of Australia Mr. Jeff Robinson, Consul General of Korea Mr. Young Hoon Kang, Deputy Consul General of Japan Mr. Koichi Maruyama, Representative of New Zealand Consulate General Col. Trevor Walker and leaders of the Filipino community.
U.S. military guests were led by Admiral John V. Fuller, Commander Navy Region Hawaii, who delivered remarks. Other USPACOM guests were Col. Richard Smith, U.S. Air Force, Capt. Stanley Keeve, Jr., USN, Commander, Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Capt. Charles Johnson, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 31, and Commander Kenneth Athan, Commanding Officer, Host Ship USN.
The welcome reception, held on 16 November 2016, was a collaborative effort of the Philippine Consulate General and the Philippine Celebrations Coordinating Committee of Hawaii (PCCCH) led by Chairman Allan Alvarez and various Filipino groups. END
