Amid the vast expanse of territorial sea waters that it protects and the country’s claims of some parts of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) being aggressively challenged, primarily by China, the Philippine Navy (PN) is stepping up its modernization program, boosted by the arrival of its first brand-new frigate almost two weeks ago. The berthing of the first of the two South Korean-made combat ships at Subic Bay Freeport where it awaits christening into military service as the BRP Jose Rizal in a couple of days further assured the sustained flying of the country’s tricolor in the territory that is being contested by Manila’s other neighbors. Back then, when its keel was still being laid out in Ulsan, South Korea, by its contractor, the vessel had been projected to bear a wide array of weapons that included an Oto Melara 76-mm super rapid main gun and an Aselsan SMASH 30-mm remote-controlled secondary cannon.

Acosta, R. (2020, June 6). Someone to watch over me. Business Mirror, pp. A1, A2.