| Emilio S. Liwanag | |
|---|---|
| Born | 27 March 1911 Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Philippines |
| Died | 12 April 1967 (Age 56) Quezon City, Philippines |
| Place of burial | Libingan ng mga Bayani (Cemetery of Heroes) in Fort Bonifacio |
| Allegiance | Republic of the Philippines |
| Service/branch | Philippine Navy Philippine Army |
| Years of service | 1941-1946 (USAFFE) 1938-1941, 1950-51 (Army) 1947–1963 (Navy) |
| Rank | Captain (Navy) Captain (USAFFE) |
| Unit | Offshore Patrol - (USAFFE) Philippine Naval Patrol (Navy) 10th Battalion Combat Team - PEFTOK (Army) |
| Commands held | Philippine Naval Operating Force Philippine Navy Service Force |
| Battles/wars |
World War II * Battle of Yultong |
| Awards | Legion of Merit-Officer (USA) |
Captain Emilio S. Liwanag (March 27, 1911 – April 12, 1967) was an officer in the Philippine Navy during the Second World War and the Korean War.
He started his military career as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 3rd Light Infantry Regiment in the Philippine Army after graduation from the Philippine Military Academy. He joined the Offshore Patrol unit of the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) as an 1st Lieutenant during the Second World War and was involved in the Battle of Bataan and during the country's liberation in the Battle of Manila.
During the Korean War, he served as an Lieutenant Commander - Logistic officer in the Army's 10th Battalion Combat Team as part of the United Nations Forces - Philippine Expeditionary Forces To Korea (PEFTOK) during the 1st year of the war, which was the first deployment of Philippine combat forces under the Republic of the Philippines into foreign soil. Shortly after his return from his 1st tour in Korea, he served a 2nd tour as Liaison officer under the Philippine Navy for the UN Command and Philippine Diplomatic Representative in Tokyo, Japan.
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Liwanag was born on March 27, 1911 in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Philippines to Francisco Liwanag and Ana Soriano. He was sixth among seven children, three brothers and four sisters.
He attended the Philippine Military Academy at Baguio City, Mountain Province, Philippines from November 27, 1933 to May 31, 1935 under the academic program. Then entered the military program from June 1, 1935 to March 25, 1938 where he graduated from the Class of 1938 with a Bachelor of Science degree. With the Philippines under the American rule at that time, Liwanag spoke fluent English.
After graduation he was appointed to the 3rd Light Infantry Regiment as a Second Lieutenant in the Philippine Army. In 1941, he voluntarily joined and graduated from the Army's Off Shore Patrol (OSP) Training School in Manila as part of the USAFFE forces, which needed more officers for the unit because of the threatening escalation of the Imperial Japanese forces in the region. At Fort William McKinley, he studied in the Advanced Infantry Gunnery Course (artillery) in 1950 before his deployment to Korea under the Philippine Army. He also studied in the United States at the Naval Mine Warfare School (NSMW) in Yorktown, Virginia in 1957.
At the outbreak of World War II, Liwanag was a 2nd Lieutenant supply officer in the Offshore Patrol (OSP). At this time, the Offshore Patrol - the forerunner of the Philippine Navy, is the only Filipino naval force after the United States Asiatic Fleet which is in charged of the naval protection for the Philippines. He was temporarily promoted to 1st Lieutenant, Sept. 27, 1941. A few weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, his rank became permanent after he was inducted into the US Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) on Dec. 19, 1941. Four days later, the Japanese planes bombed the Offshore Patrol Headquarters in Manila where he was stationed,[1] fortunately he was off-base when this incident happened. The Base Commander ordered the OSP Headquarters to be burned down before the Japanese arrival into the city.[2]
He relocated and served in the Harbor Defense Force under the Offshore Patrol unit in Lamao, Bataan during the Battle of Bataan. Lamao was the new location of the OSP headquarters which was based at the Lamao Horiculture Center, until mid-February they moved HQ further down to Alasasin Point along the Dinguinin River, Bataan.[3] During the next three and a half months his unit was in charge of supplying ammunition, medicine and provisions for the front lines from supply points across Manila Bay, using a 55-foot (17 m) high-speed Thorneycroft Coastal Motor Boat (CMB) available to them, along with several converted civilian "fast" boats. When the Fall of Bataan occurred as the last line of defense was breached by the Japanese forces, droves of American and Filipino soldiers tried to escape capture by any means. Some of these soldiers found their way to Lamao knowing that boats were located there. During an cargo drop-off, Liwanag noticed a small number of armed and unarmed army soldiers, about a dozen, were trying to board his boats which was strictly ordered to carry ammo & supplies only, not indigenous personnel. Without the knowledge that the last battle line had been breached, he threatened many of the soldiers who board any of his boats will be shot. As he came back for another supply trip back to Lamao, his dock was overwhelmed by a chaotic scene of more panicked troops eager to escape the Japanese advance. He realized the last battle line has finally failed and understood the peril of these men and the danger of his own unit's position. He ordered all boats on dock to dump their cargo and prepare to take on passengers for an immediate evacuation mission. Then he organized the dock evacuations because the retreating troops were endangering the boats by overloading and capsizing them, at the same time restore some form of order. From his dock, he sent out an urgent radio order and a general distress call for more needed boats from across Manila Bay. While all types of boats both military and civilian were volunteering to assist in the evacuation, more unarmed panicked troops kept flooding in. He ordered a number of these troops to create a guard perimeter, which a group of volunteers took the task, to provide a security buffer outside the dock facilities from enemy incursions while the evacuation took place. As the night fell, the Japanese were slowly closing in, he ordered a number of the waiting troops with demolition skills to assist in preparing the dock and facilities for destruction by using the ordnance from their last supply run so it wouldn't be useful to the Japanese. They used as much of their dock's fuel resources to fill the tanks of all the incoming boats and any portable fuel canisters, since Lamao was also a fuel supply depot. [4]
When all the troops and non-essential personnel were safely shuttled off, he ordered all remaining boats to start loading the full fuel canisters onboard to be dropped off at a friendly port. The fuel was mainly used for his unit of OSP boats to remain functional since they didn't know where another fuel depot would be located. He coordinated the incoming and outcoming boats for the fuel removal, when the perimeter guards warned the Japanese were approaching their security perimeter. He told all of them to withdraw and ordered the entire dock personnel to evacuate in any available boats. Since most of the docked boats were loaded with extra fuel tanks, the remaining dock personnel had to sit on top of them as they departed. Liwanag along with some boats remained and waited for all the volunteer perimeter guards to arrive. They all came running in and jumped on to the boats saying the Japanese were behind them only by several minutes. He finally gave the order for the destruction of the fuel tanks, facilities and dock. As his boat departed, some the perimeter guards on board started firing at the direction of the Japanese to keep them at bay, but told them to cease fire to prevent the Japanese from locking on to their position from their weapon's muzzle fire which would endangering themselves further since they were all sitting on top of portable fuel tanks. They'll use the night's darkness to conceal their departure with only the sounds of their boat's motors indicating their presence. The dock's destruction took place late during the night with their withdrawal punctuated by a tremendous explosions of the fuel depot tanks which was seen across the Manila Bay.[4]
His unit was forced to surrender after the declaration was broadcasted from the Malinta Tunnel in Corregidor through the Voice of Freedom, for all USAFFE forces immediate surrender to the Japanese. At that point his unit was low on ammunition and fuel getting scarce, since they have been cut off from additional supplies and reinforcements by better trained and equipped, front-line Japanese forces. They surrendered in Nasugbu, Batangas on April 9, 1942 while transferring evacuating troops by boat from a withdrawal point off the most southern point of Bataan. Before they turned themselves over to the Japanese, he ordered the immediate destruction of their boats once they docked, which some burned from lighting the portable fuel tanks or shot out the bottoms to sink them. He was transferred by truck along with his unit to San Fernando, then crammed to standing room in train box cars as the Japanese overloaded them to more than double its capacity to Capas, Tarlac. Once they were offloaded in Capas, they marched the last three kilometers to the internment camp to be detained as POWs.[5]
Liwanag was interned in Camp O'Donnell which was used as an internment camp for both American and Filipino prisoners of war in Capas, Tarlac from April 9 to August 4, 1942. The Japanese occupying force released a very small number of Philippine military personnel to return back to civilian life, of which he was one of the fortunate few. Their aim was to integrate them back to society but kept some of them under Japanese surveillance by Filipino collaborators loyal to the Japanese in the hope they would lead them to any Allied dissident forces. He could not return to his family for fear of endangering them by using them as leverage against him. He did not acknowledge any one of his civilian friends who recognized him, knowing that the Japanese might interrogate them. One of his friends knew the predicament he was in and notified the family his whereabouts, which at that time believed he was still interned in Camp O'Donnell. Liwanag's wife doubted their friend that the Japanese were releasing Filipino military personnel, until she travelled to Capas and confirmed it on a posted form on the POW camp bulletin board of the 1,400 prisoners that were released.[6] With so much time in his hands, he would take long walks but was actually gathering intelligence on Japanese positions, personnel, equipment and strength. Knowing that the US General Douglas MacArthur will return from Australia, the information will be useful in the re-take of Manila and its surrounding towns.
Once the US Forces returned to the Philippines and started driving back the Japanese forces, he sought out to rejoin the Allied forces but was recognized by a fellow POW who was interred with him that had connections to the guerilla forces. With their help, they both got back to Allied hands. Liwanag was processed & placed back in the USAFFE and reinstated to his rank of 1st Lieutenant on Jan. 28, 1945. What was left of his Offshore Patrol unit was mainly dismantled by the Japanese, the main portion were still interned in Camp O'Donnell, his boats were scuttled or burned so Japanese forces won't have them. Only a small group of surviving personnel of the Offshore Patrol conducted guerilla hit-and-run attacks. With the enemy intelligence he gathered along with his knowledge of the layout of Manila, he was assigned to assist US Army units preparing to enter the city. Five days later, his unit fought in the Battle of Manila.
After the war, he was promoted to the rank of an USAFFE Captain on March 11, 1946. The President of the Philippines Manuel Roxas strengthened the Offshore Patrol after issuing Executive Order No. 94 on October 5, 1947. This order elevated the Patrol to a major command that was equal to the other branches of the armed forces, which is now the Philippine Navy. The OSP was renamed the Philippine Naval Patrol (PNP), later on it changed into the Philippine Navy on January 5, 1951. In July 1946, Liwanag returned to his old unit which changed into the newly formed Philippine Naval Patrol and was reactivated to the promoted naval rank as an Lieutenant Commander, after serving with the USAFFE which disbanded after June 30, 1946.
Liwanag was part of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces To Korea (PEFTOK), the Philippine contingent of the United Nations forces that was deployed to Korea. He was assigned to the 10th Battalion Combat Team (BCT) - Motorized, Philippine Army - United Nations Command (UNC) as an Navy Lieutenant Commander[7] (equivalent to an Army Major) - Logistics officer. They landed in Busan, Korea on September 19, 1950 along with 1,303 enlisted men and 64 officers who were transported by US Navy transport vessels[8]. The PEFTOK was the 8th foreign country after the Americans and the 27th British Commonwealth Infantry Brigade (consisting of units from the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India and 2 Battalions from Hong Kong]. Most of the Filipino battalion were combat veterans who fought the Japanese Imperial Army either as a regular soldier or guerrilla. The 10th BCT was attached to and provided support for the American 25th Infantry Division.
The battalion had to deal with some immediate setbacks upon their arrival in the port of Busan, they have no armor available for them. The 10th was Philippines' only armored tank battalion at the time, consisting of three rifle companies, a medium tank company, a reconnaissance company equipped with light tanks and a field artillery battery. They were equipped with a company of 29 M4 Sherman medium tanks and a company of M5 Stuart light tanks which all remained in the Philippines. The Americans were to supply the 10th with surplus tanks consisting of 17 M4 Shermans and one M10 tank destroyer which was awaiting for them in Korea. Unfortunately during the UN Command withdrawal from the Battle of Pusan Perimeter, their tanks were destroyed before they saw combat.[9] For several days since their landing, they received no word from the Americans when or if they will receive replacement armor. The 10th battalion commanders and staff were wondering what to do with the two tankless companies once the battalion were assigned to a mission from the Americans, since most of the armor personnel were lightly armed. As the battalion Logistic officer, Liwanag took it upon himself to rectify their precarious dilemma. He requested the battalion commanders, Lt. Col. Mariano Azurin[10] and 2IC Lt. Col. Dionisio S. Ojeda[11], if he could have several trucks and men, namely tank drivers with commanders, to accompany him to the 25th Infantry Division headquarters to see what they have available at their supply depot.
When they arrived to the 25th Division HQ, it was a beehive of activity as they were securing their sector of the UN battleline. After explaining directly to the American HQ commanders of the 10th situation, they gave him free rein in the division's supply depot and motor pool to take whatever Liwanag needed. Without conferring to his battalion commanders on items they had on hand, he secured the items that were available before they were requisitioned to another unit. When he returned, to the surprise of everyone in the battalion, he was able to secure seven M24 Chaffee[12] light tanks as their only replacement armor, and riding behind them were several more truckloads of brand new heavy weapons ranging from machine guns of different variants, bazookas, grenades and mortars - along with more ammunition for the entire battalion's needs. There were no available spare Shermans, as all replacement tanks would take several weeks to be shipped in from the US mainland. The Recon Company received the Chaffees which was a far better light tank compared to their under gunned, slow, obsolete M5 Stuarts. All the truckloads of new heavy weaponry he collected went to the tankless Tank Company which he reorganize them as a Heavy Weapons Company, which the battalion commander & officers approved to Liwanag's re-assessment. Near the city of Miryang, the battalion spent about 2 weeks of pre-combat training with their new equipment and their change of combat duties, namely the Heavy Weapons Company.
On April 22, the 10th BCT was deployed 5 kilometers north of Yeoncheon amid the Chinese Spring Offensive. The battalion was moved to the 3rd Infantry Division to reinforce its ranks, which the Chinese 44th Division offensive was to conduct echelons of night attacks to overrun the 10th's hill position . The Filipino battalion was heavily outnumbered 17 to 1 and surrounded, which made every Filipino, from cooks to drivers, to take up arms and fight. They succeeded in holding their position from the Chinese which allowed the withdrawal of friendly forces, and continued to hold their ground until they were given the order for their own to withdraw. The battle was known as the Battle of Yultong which became the largest battle that Philippine troops participated in during the Korean War and was widely known as their bravest stand during the conflict. For their actions, Tank Company, which he retasked and provided their weaponry, was decorated the US Gallantry Award. The 10th BCT earned it's unit's name, "The Fighting Filipinos" later called "The Fighting Tenth". They continued to serve until September 27, 1951 when they were replaced by the 20th BCT. His unit stayed 398 days in Korea and returned to Manila on October 23 to a euphoric heroes welcome.
Several months after his return with the 10th BCT, he was redeployed back to the Korean War under the Philippine Navy. He was assigned as the senior naval advisor to the Philippine Diplomatic Representative for the Philippine Embassy, along with the additional duty of being the Philippine Liaison Officer to United Nations Command Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. On July 5, 1951, he was promoted to the rank of Commander.
On October 7, 1952, Liwanag was decorated with the Legion of Merit (Officer Degree) by Maj. Gen. Blackshear M. Bryan[13] deputy chief of staff - HQ Far East Command, for services in the Philippine Liaison office with the UN Command during the Korean War.[14] He became the first Filipino Officer to receive this distinguished medal, which is the highest US military decoration to be given to a foreign national.
According to the citation, Commander Liwanag distinguished himself from December 12, 1950 to September 30, 1952. It read in part:
"Applying his keen judgment and professional experience, Commander Liwanag formulated plans for the logistical support and efficient integration of Philippine forces into the Korean conflict. His high sense of duty and spirit of cooperation were contributing factors to the successful integration of the Philippine combat teams as elements of the United Nations Command and reflect great credit on himself and the Philippine Navy."[15]
His Legion of Merit medal currently resides in display at the Philippine Military Academy Museum which was donated by his family.
In January 1958, Capt. Liwanag was chosen as the overall commander throughout phases II and III of the naval exercise Operation "Bulwark One" or Exercise "Bulwark", a harbor defense maneuver sponsored jointly by the Philippine Navy and US Navy. The naval operation was the first US-Philippine joint exercise since the Philippines' liberation (1946). Its purpose was to acquaint and promote the close working relationship of the US Navy and the Philippine Navy in the defense of Philippine harbors. The exercise was significant in that the ability of a nation to last in a war of any kind, whether nuclear or conventional, would depend upon its ability to protect its shipping life-lines.
For the first time in any joint US-Philippine exercise, all US Navy units during phase II and III was placed under the overall command of a Philippine Navy senior officer, Capt. Emilio Liwanag. According to Lt. Gen Alfonso Arellano, AFP Chief of Staff (1956–1957), he hailed the designation of Liwanag, pointing out that it was the first time that a Filipino officer was chosen to head a vital and big military exercise in which a foreign contingent was participating. Selection of Liwanag, Arellano said, shows only too well the proficiency of the Filipino soldier and the degree of respect and admiration with which he is held by his counterparts abroad.[16]
The exercise was broken down in three different phases in a three-month period:
This stage of the exercise, which involves the shore training of participants on techniques and procedures in harbor defense at the base in Cavite. Fifty-six PN officers and three hundred enlisted men had a two-week classroom instruction course on harbor defense to be followed by another two weeks of practical training under competent Filipino and American instructors from Cavite Navy Yard and US Naval Base Subic Bay. After their training, these PN officers and sailors would form the nucleus of the country's first post-war harbor defense unit.[16]
Consist of drills at the Corregidor and Caballo areas and establishment of a Harbor Defense Command Center. This stage practices operations against enemy air and sub-surface attackers along with protecting friendly shipping lanes. The tactical importance of this phase of this exercise was that in case of a real emergency, Corregidor may be fortified to protect the entire harbor of Manila. The addition of radar, sonar and other harbor defense equipment was set up on Corregidor to improve and upgrade the Harbor defenses, which was provided by the US Navy.[17]
The actual firing phase where the US-Philippine Navy participant-units focus on Harbor defense operations to protect friendly shipping off Corregidor. This included mine laying operations, surface and underwater detection with radar, sonar, spotting towers and anti-aircraft action. They simulated attacks from a submarine, a disguised merchant ship and an air attack around Corregidor and Caballo islands area. Eight assorted PN vessels and Harbor defense unit will staved off an actual attack of enemy forces played by seven US naval vessels including a submarine. The Philippine Air Force contributed friendly and enemy forces of P-51 Mustangs and F-86 Sabre jets.[18]
The naval exercise was successful in giving valuable operational training in harbor defense and mine warfare to the participating units and promoted closer working relations among the Philippine Navy, Air Force and the US Navy. This benchmarked some milestones for the Philippine Forces for being the first US-Philippine bilateral harbor defense maneuvers held in the Philippines since the liberation. The first activation of the country's Harbor Defense Unit, and the first Filipino senior officer to command a combined exercise.
The exercise involved fifteen US and Philippine naval vessels: the US Navy provided picket boats, minesweepers - USS Fortify, Inflict and Engage, a submarine - USS Capitaine, aircrafts - namely two Martin PBM patrol bombers, several amphibious vehicles (LVT-4) and harbor defense units. The Philippine Navy provided minesweepers, coast guard crafts (CGC)s, a patrol craft - RPS Cebu (currently BRP Cebu (PS-28) which was later reclassified as a corvette-class under the PN) and signal check stations on Corregidor. The Philippine Air Force provided four squadrons consisting of eight P-51 Mustangs, four F-86 Sabre jets, four HU-16 Albatross amphibious flying boats and helicopter rescue teams.[19]
The success also led to the procurement of equipment used by the US Navy for this exercise. US military observers which includes Maj. Gen. Joseph Harper, Joint United States Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG) chief, and Rear Admiral Edgar A. Cruise, commander US Naval Forces - Philippines, were impressed and praised the conduct of the exercise. Admiral Cruise turned over six amphibious tractors to Commodore Jose Francisco, PN chief, which will be allocated to the Philippine Marines.
Maj. General Harper turned over the equipment and facilities used in the harbor defense operations. These equipment and installations include mobile and stationary radar units, magnetic control mines, hydrophones and magnetic indicator loops, which are mostly designed for detecting approaching surface and subsurface vessels, all worth about two million (US-1958) dollars.[20]
During 1958-61, President Carlos P. Garcia created the Presidential Enforcement Unit for Southern Philippines (PLEUSP) which was to erradiate rampant violations of customs, revenue and immigration laws in the south of the Philippines. These violations deprived the government of substantial revenues and provided ruinous competition to legitimate business that would hinder the national economy.
Captain Liwanag was the commander of the naval unit, Task Force 10, which served as the executing arm of the naval element of the PLEUSP group.[21] The Task Force was to stop, seize and confiscate all vessels, cargo and contraband that enters Philippine's territorial waters illegally. He was in-charge of securing the southernmost territorial boundaries because of Indonesia was a launch point and the main source of most of the smuggling operations. This also included the duty of preventing Indonesian communist elements from infiltrating through Mindanao and Sulu regions.[22] In 1960-61, he became the commander of the Navy's Service Force,[23] which is responsible for preparing auxiliary transport and amphibious ships dedicated for sea lift and amphibious operations.
During 1962-63, Liwanag was appointed as the 3rd Commandant of the Naval Operating Force (NOF)[24] which is the main fighting element of the Philippine Navy. The Naval Operating Forces were composed of units of a Marine Battalion, Underwater Operations unit, Naval Air unit and a Small Craft unit. During his command, he carried out and continued a more stringent anti-smuggling campaign under President Diosdado Macapagal administration. More smuggling operations were uncovered and intercepted from the country's southern coastal waters while further enforcing it's territorial waterways from any incursions.[25]
After 25 years of active service, Captain Liwanag was placed on the retired list on Dec. 11, 1963. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Star medal conferred by Commodore Juan B. Magluyan, Philippine Navy Chief. His citation read in part,
"for eminently meritorious and valuable service to the Navy while Commander of the Service Force and Commander of the Naval Operating Force."
He was cited for promoting the professional growth of the Navy, for being instrumental in the unrelenting law reforcement campaign around the archipelago and for successful implementation of the Republic of the Philippines-Indonesian border patrol agreement.[23] After his retirement, he was placed as an Naval Reserve Officer with the Ready Reserve Force until 1965.
He was married to Caridad Buenconsejo (May 25, 1911 - October 8, 1992). They have seven children: four sons and three daughters and survived by two sons and three daughters.
Captain Emilio S. Liwanag died from liver failure (cirrhosis) on April 12, 1967 at the Victoriano Luna General Hospital. He is currently buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (Cemetery of Heroes) in Fort Bonifacio. (Flat H, Row 10, Sec. 12)
| Legion of Merit – Officer Degree (USA) | |
| Philippine Defense Medal | |
|
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Philippine Liberation Medal with one Bronze Service Star |
| Philippine Independence Medal | |
| Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Badge | |
| Philippine Anti-Dissidence Campaign Medal (Artwork not available) | |
|
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Distinguished Unit Badge (currently called Presidental Unit Citation) with two Bronze Service Star (USA) |
| Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (USA) | |
|
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American Defense Service Medal with two Bronze Service Star (USA) |
| World War II Victory Medal (USA) | |
|
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Korean War Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star |
| United Nations Service Medal (UN) | |
| Distinguished Service Star | |
|
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Long Service Medal with one Bronze Service Star (Artwork not available) |
In August 2009, the Philippine Navy commemorated its naval history by honoring several naval officers who served with distinction, who fought for the protection of the country's sovereignty, territorial integrity, democracy, and the maritime interests of the country. With that honor, Naval Station Pag-Asa in the Kalayaan Islands in the province of Palawan was renamed Naval Station Emilio Liwanag as one of several bases, facilities, and stations renamed thru-out the country.[26] Location:
In May 2010, the 112th Anniversary of the Philippine Navy, a newly commissioned Patrol Gunboat PG-118 was christened as BRP Emilio Liwanag in his honor.[27] The ship was originally PKM 223, a Chamsuri class patrol boat used by the South Korean Navy in the 1970s, which was acquired in 2006 along with PKM 232.[28] The PKMs (Patrol Killer Medium) are the earlier series of the Chamsuri class vessels, which were manufactured by the Hanjin Industrial SB, Chinhae and Korean SB & Eng. Masan shipyards.[29] These vessels were procured under the Revised Re-prioritized Project List (RRPL) of the Capability Upgrade Program (CUP) in line with the PN Moderization Program. It will undergo an extensive refurbishing and modernization upgrades under the Armed Forces Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program before joining the Naval fleet's inventory which will be completed by Propmech Corporation.
On the morning of January 4, 2011, a newly upgraded patrol gunboat BRP Emilio Liwanag (PG-118) is the latest addition to join the Philippine Navy's floating inventory. Leading the ceremony at Navy Headquarters, Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin witnessed by officers and personnel of the Philippine Navy, together with Mrs. Emilia Liwanag Hilado, youngest daughter of the late Capt. Emilio S. Liwanag.[30][31] The newly restored Tomas Batillo class is the 7th patrol gunboat that was recently refurbished & modernized since it's purchase back in 2006.
The gunboat's overall refurbishment includes upgrades to its communications equipment, replacement of the old original engines with two new Caterpillar 3516C engines @ 3151 hp, and enhancement of the electrical & auxiliary machinery. The vessel has a maximum speed of 31 knots and is capable of the following: surface and air action against enemy forces; interdiction patrol; sealift of platoon size troops with full combat gears in the conduct of ISO; search and rescue within territorial waters; transport of personnel, cargo and civic action operations.
On April 15, 2011, PG-118 has been officially commissioned into active duty during 73rd anniversary of the Philippine Naval Fleet by Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin. Ceremories took place at Sangley Point in Cavite City.[32][33][34]
