BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17), a Del Pilar-class offshore patrol vessel, was fielded back to the Western Command (WESCOM) after successfully undergoing mandatory repairs and maintenance checks.
Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, commander of WESCOM, inspected BRP Andres Bonifacio and visited the personnel assigned to her on Monday, July 4.
BRP Andres Bonifacio was assigned with WESCOM before it underwent repairs to mission-critical pieces of machinery that are essential in the discharge of her missions.
During the visit, Carlos ensured that the vessel was mission-ready before she was deployed to WESCOM which covers Palawan and the West Philippine Sea.
He emphasized the need for support in the timely maintenance and repair of all floating Navy assets operating in the WESCOM area of operations.
“Doing so is the only way to sustain our naval presence there," Carlos said. “The return of PS17 will definitely strengthen our requirements in the West Philippine Sea."
The military is currently addressing the lack of assets to sustain the patrol operations in the country’s maritime territory, including the highly volatile West Philippine Sea, by procuring more vessels and regularly maintaining the existing fleet.