The embassy tweeted that the BRP Ramon Alcaraz is to dock in Balboa, and will then leave for San Diego the next day.
“[The] BRP Alcaraz [is] expected to dock at Rodman Pier in Balboa on 18 June and depart for San Diego on 19 June,” it said.
As of Tuesday noon Philippine time, the embassy tweeted that the vessel was crossing Miraflores Locks of Panama Canal en route to Balboa.
Only last week, the crew of the BRP Ramon Alcaraz held a successful test-firing of the ship’s main weapons system.
The BRP Ramon Alcaraz is expected to take nearly two months to reach the Philippines.
According to the embassy, the vessel’s other stops include San Diego, Honolulu, and Guam.
Last week, Capt. Ernesto Baldovino, the vessel’s commanding officer, described the weapons system as “very reliable,” and in possession of a “high degree of accuracy.”
Baldovino said the BRP Ramon Alcaraz’s Italian-made Oto Melara rapid-fire cannon fired 15 rounds, including three for calibration and 12 at floating targets two to three miles away. — VC, GMA News
