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BRP Cebu (PS-28)
Class overview
Name	Malvar class
Builders	Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing Co.; Albina Engine and Machine Works; Willamette Iron and Steel Corp.; Winslow Marine Railway and Shipbuilding; US
Operators	Philippine Navy
Succeeded by	Rizal class
Active	0
Lost	1
Retired	9
General characteristics
Type	Patrol corvette (as originally transferred) Gun corvette (later, upon removal of all ASW ability)
Displacement	914 tons (full load) 640 tons (standard)
Length	184.5 ft (56.2 m)
Beam	33 ft (10 m)
Draft	9.4 ft (2.9 m) on PCE-842-class patrol craft hulls 9.75 ft (2.97 m) on Admirable-class minesweeper hulls
Installed power	3 gens 2 × GM6-71 diesel engines with 100KW gen 1 × GM3-268A diesel engine with 60KW gen
Propulsion	2 × GM12-278A diesel engines with a combined 2,200 hp (1,600 kW) (previous) 2 × GM12-567ATL diesel engines (original) 2 × Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines
Speed	from last engine replacement: 1.6MW power 16 knots max 14 knots sustained 12 knots economy from original engines or 1st replacement or both 15.7 knots max (on PCE-842-class patrol craft hulls) 14.8 knots max (on Admirable-class minesweeper hulls)
Range	6,600 nmi at 11 knots (20 km/h)
Complement	85
Sensors and processing systems	Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 nav & surface-search radar (1990-1992 refits: PS-19, PS-22, PS-31, & PS-32) (1992-1993 refits: PS-23 & PS-28) SPS-50 Surface Search Radar (on PS-23) SPS-21D Surface Search Radar (on PS-19 and PS-28) CRM-NIA-75 Surface Search Radar (on PS-29, PS-31, and PS-32) SPS-53A Surface Search Radar (on PS-20) RCA SPN-18 I/J-band Navigation Radar Sonar (either removed during 1990-1993 overhaul & refits or 1980s; if not in the 1960s for the 5 ships that arrived in 1975)
Armament	SuW-AAW 1 × 76mm L/50 (3-inch 50-caliberLong) dual-purpose cannon on a Mk.22 mount Bofors 40mm AA rapid-fire cannons (in 1 of ff config): 3 × twin-barrel 2 × single-barrel 3 × single-barrel (claimed from some photo sources) none at all (transferred to PhMC for their ground-based AA weapons) Oerlikon 20 mm AA rapid-fire cannons: 3 or 4 units) 4 × M2 Browning 50cal (12.7 mm) heavy machine guns A number of 30cal medium machine guns Removed Armaments 4 of 1st 6 ships transferred in 1948: Either during the 1990-1993 overhaul & refits Or the 1980's ) Last 5 ships arrived in 1975: Either during 1960's before their transfer to RVNN Or (except maybe PS-18) along with 4 of the 1st 6 ships ASW 1 × Hedgehog antisubmarine mortar projector 4 × K-gun depth charge projectors 2 × depth charge rails SuW-AAW Bofors 40mm twin-barrel AA rapid-fire cannons (either only certain ships or all the remaining ships ) MCM gears (from the 3 minesweeper-variant hulls Admirable-class)

The Malvar class is a ship class of patrol corvettes of the Philippine Navy and are currently its oldest class of corvettes. These ships were formerly used by the US Navy as Admirable-class minesweepers, and PCE-842-class and PCE(R)-848 class patrol craft, which were both based on the Admirable-class hull. In the Philippine Navy, the vessels have undergone upgrades and modifications, and have been re-categorized as corvettes. One ship, the ex-USN USS Quest was converted into a non-combatant Presidential Yacht by the Philippine Navy in 1948 as RPS Pag-asa (APO-21) (later on renamed as RPS Santa Maria, and as RPS/BRP Mount Samat)

In 2021 December 10, the remaining two ships of the class were finally decommissioned, and so the remaining WW2-era vessels left during that time are the five armed transport-types (3 LCUs & 2 LSTs). That event was supposed to mark the end of the era of using WW2 combatants but supertyphoon Odette hit the Philippines just 6 days after their decommissioning, and so BRP Magat Salamat (PS-20) was forced again into service "with a volunteer force composed mainly of its last crew" to serve as a temporary command post for the duration of the relief operations in the severely affected Dinagat Islands.

But to begin with, the replacements for all the WW2-era vessels was originally planned for the 2000s under the 1995-2010 Philippine Military Modernization Law, however this law was largely ignored for various reasons, including overdependence on the US via their 1951 MDT and 1998 VFA, among others. Some Filipinos blamed the 1997 Asian financial crisis as the core reason but in actuality the Philippine economy grew by 5.2% in 1997, only contracted -0.6% in 1998, and then quickly rebounded 3.1% in 1999, and onwards; it even weathered the 2007–2008 financial crisis where, by 2009, most countries were on the negative while the Philippines managed at 1.1%, while 7.15% and 4.15% in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The modernization law expired in 2010 February 23 without even a single hint of reviving it during that time. The Philippines only thought of reviving it when the Scarborough Shoal standoff erupted in 2012 April 8.

History

The PCE class of naval ships served with the United States Navy during the Second World War.

Out of the reserved US Navy units, six were transferred to the Philippines as part of the US Military Assistance Program (PS-28 to PS-33), while five were former South Vietnamese Navy units that escaped to the Philippines in 1975.

With 40 years of active duty with the Philippine Navy, ships of this class have been involved in local and international crisis, exercises, and incidents.

Technical details

Originally the ship was armed with one 3" (76mm) L/50 dual-purpose gun, two to six Bofors 40 mm guns, 1 Hedgehog depth charge projector, four depth charge projectiles (K-guns) and two depth charge tracks.

The same configuration applied up until the late 1980s when the Philippine Navy removed most of its old anti-submarine weapons and systems, losing its already-limited ASW abilities, but installed three 20 mm Oerlikon guns and four 12.7 mm heavy machine guns, making them lighter and more suited for surface patrols.

The ship was originally powered by two Cooper Bessemer GSB-8 diesel engines, but these were replaced by two GM 12-567ATL diesel engines similar to her sister ships, with a combined rating of around 1,710 bhp (1,280 kW). These were then again replaced in the mid 1990s with two GM 12-278A diesels with a combined rating of around 2,200 bhp (1,600 kW) driving two propellers. The main engines can propel the 914-ton (full load) ship to a maximum speed of around 16 knots (30 km/h).

Ships in class

Gallery

• BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19)
• BRP Pangasinan (PS-31) at CARAT 2011-Philippines
• RPS Samar (M-33) flying Philippine colors but still wearing U.S. Navy hull number circa 1948.

References

1. ^ DLSU N-ROTC Office. Naming and Code Designation of PN Vessels Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine.
2. ^ GlobalSecurity.org PS Miguel Malvar Class Archived 22 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ Jane's Fighting Ships 2004-2005
4. NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive Quest (AM-281) Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ "WW2 corvette to serve as command post in Dinagat relief ops: Navy". Philippine News Agency. 28 December 2021.
6. ^ NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive. Gayety (MSF 239) ex-AM-239 Archived 2008-05-31 at the Wayback Machine.
7. NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive. Shelter (MSF 301) Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine.
8. "Work Boat World Maritime Security Vessel Orders and Deliveries Roundup – May 25, 2022". 25 May 2022.
9. ^ "Philippine Navy in the News: 3 World War II barko ng Navy, pinagretiro na". 9 December 2010.
10. Sadongdong, Martin (26 April 2023). "AFP, US counterpart's live fire drill a success as mock vessel sinks off Zambales". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
11. MaxDefense Philippines BRP GREGORIO DEL PILAR MISSES CONTINUOUS MAINTENANCE AVAILABILITY, EMPHASIZES NEED OF PHILIPPINE NAVY FOR MORE WARSHIPS Archived 2018-03-24 at the Wayback Machine.
12. NavSource Online: Mine Warfare Vessel Photo Archive. Project (AM 278) Archived 2008-05-02 at the Wayback Machine.

External links

• Philippine Navy Official website
• Philippine Fleet Official Website
• Philippine Defense Forum
• Opus224's Unofficial Philippine Defense Page

v t e Commissioned ships of the Philippine Navy
Frigates	Miguel Malvar class Miguel Malvar (2025) Diego Silang (2025) Jose Rizal class Jose Rizal Antonio Luna
Corvettes	Pohang class Conrado Yap
Offshore Patrol Vessels	Del Pilar class Gregorio del Pilar Ramon Alcaraz Andrés Bonifacio Malvar class Magat Salamat Jacinto class Emilio Jacinto Apolinario Mabini Artemio Ricarte
Coastal patrol vessels	Cyclone class General Mariano Alvarez Valentin Diaz Ladislao Diwa
Coastal patrol craft	Kagitingan class Bagong Silang Acero class Nestor Acero Lolinato To-ong Gener Tinangag Domingo Deluana Herminigildo Yurong Laurence Narag Tomas Campo (2024) Albert Majini (2024) Alberto Navarette class Alberto Navarette Abraham Campo Jose Andrada class Jose Andrada Enrique Jurado Alfredo Peckson Simeon Castro Carlos Albert Heracleo Alano Liberato Picar Hilario Ruiz Rafael Pargas Nestor Reinoso Dioscoro Papa Ismael Lomibao Leovigildo Gantioqui Federico Martir Filipino Flojo Anastacio Cacayorin Manuel Gomez Teotimo Figoracion Jose Loor Sr. Juan Magluyan Florencio Inigo Felix Apolinario Multi-Purpose Attack Craft (MPAC) BA-482 BA-483 BA-484 BA-485 BA-486 BA-487 BA-488 BA-489 BA-491 BA-492 BA-493 BA-494 Type 966Y class PB-356 PB-357 PB-358 PB-359 Swift Mk. 3 class PB-338 PB-339
Amphibious warfare ships	Tarlac class Tarlac Davao del Sur Bacolod City class Bacolod City Dagupan City LST-1/LST-542 class Sierra Madre Laguna Benguet Tagbanua class Tagbanua Ivatan class Ivatan Batak Waray Iwak Agta Mulgae class Mamanwa Tausug class Tausug LCU Mk.6 class Subanon Bagobo Manobo
Auxiliary ships	Gregorio Velasquez class Gregorio Velasquez Lake Buluan class Lake Buluan Lake Mainit class Lake Buhi Lake Taal FS-381 class Mangyan Fort San Antonio class Fort San Antonio Fort Abad Ang Pangulo-class Ang Pangulo Lilimbon-class Lilimbon RAmparts 3000W-class AT-010 RAmparts 2700W-class YT-027 USN 422-class Igorot Ilonggot Tasaday YT-227 YT-228

• Corvette classes
• Miguel Malvar-class corvettes
• Ships of the Philippine Navy