The Philippine Navy will decommission one of its legacy vessels in a ceremony in Cavite City on Friday.

Lt. Sahirul Taib, Philippine Navy Fleet Public Affairs Officer, said the decommissioning of Malvar Class Patrol Vessel, BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS22), will be held at Captain Salvo Pier, Naval Base Herecleo Alano, Sangley Point, Cavite City.

“Philippine Navy will officially decommission one of its legacy vessels, the BRP Sultan Kudarat (PC22), from the active service in accordance with the current Phrase-in/Phase-out of Philippine Navy vessels to welcome new and modern assets,” he said.

In an article previously posted at the Maxdefense Philippines, the defense blog site said that “the ship was supposed to have its major dry-dock works last 2017, but apparently it did not happen."

"And now the Philippine Navy leadership decided to just retire it as part of the PN’s Sail Plan 2020, which aims to retire all its World War 2-era warships and surface assets by 2020,” it said.

According to the article, BRP Sultan Kudarat served under the United States Navy and Vietnam Navy before it was transferred to the Philippine Navy in 1976.

“BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22) was originally a PCE-842-class patrol craft escort of the US Navy, which was commissioned in October 1944 as PCE-895, and served in the remaining years of World War 2. She was renamed as USS Crestview (PCE-895) in February 1956, and was transferred to the Republic of Vietnam Navy in November 1961,” the article said.

“In South Vietnamese service, she was named Dong Da Il (HQ-07) and served from 1961 to 1975. The ship was among those that escaped Vietnam after South Vietnam fell to North Vietnamese forces. Legally, the US government took possession of the ship despite being docked in the US Navy base at Subic Bay,” it said.

“Out of practicality, the US handed-over the ship to the Philippine Navy in April 1976, and was named BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22). She is considered one of the oldest fighting ships in service anywhere in the world, being in service for more than 74 years now, 43 years of it with the Philippine Navy. She currently serves with the Philippine Fleet’s Offshore Combat Force,” it added. Robina Asido/DMS