By: Abigail Kwok
MANILA - The Philippines' second warship, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, is expected to arrive in the country by end of June or early July, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said on Monday.
Gazmin said it will take some time for the Hamilton-class cutter to arrive in the country as it will travel from Charleston, South Carolina passING through the Panama Canal.
Fernando Manalo, Defense Undersecretary for Finance, Munitions, Installations and Materiel, said the ship would be "limited" in terms of equipment and arsenal but was "better than the first one," referring to the first Hamilton-class cutter acquired by the Philippines, the BRP del Pilar.
The arrival of the second warship is expected to boost Philippine naval presence, especially with the ongoing dispute at the West Philippine Sea.
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