History
Commissioned in the US Navy as USS ''PCE-881'' in 1944, and patrolled the coast of Alaska during World War II. The ship was decommissioned after World War II. She was then transferred and commissioned into the Philippine Navy, Philippine Naval Patrol and was renamed RPS ''Cebu'' (E-28) in July 1948. She was carried on to the Philippine Navy in 1951, and in the 1960s she was renamed as RPS ''Cebu'' (PS-28) using a new ship naming and classification system. Again in June 1980 she was renamed BRP ''Cebu'' (PS-28) using a new localized prefix.''Philippine Navy Information Manual 1995 - Adoption of Pilipino Translation of "Bapor ng Republika ng Pilipinas"'' In 1992 the ship underwent major overhaul, weapons and radar systems refit, and upgrade of communications gear.Saunders, Stephen: ''Jane's Fighting Ships 107th Edition 2004-2005''. Jane's Information Group Ltd, 2004. BRP ''Cebu'' won the Philippine Navy "Ship of the Year" award for the year 2009. She was assigned with the Patrol Force of the Philippine Fleet, under the jurisdiction of Naval Forces Western Mindanao. She was decommissioned in a ceremony on 1 October 2019. In October 2022, the ship along with the BRP Rajah Humabon (PS-11), BRP ''Rajah Humabon'' (PS-11) and BRP Sultan Kudarat (PS-22), BRP ''Sultan Kudarat'' (PS-22) was seen tilted over and submerged at the Naval Base Cavite, Naval Station Pascual Ledesma in Cavite after the onslaught of Tropical Storm Nalgae (2022), Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae.Notable operations
After the ship's construction and the crew's training was completed in Portland Oregon, it patrolled the coast of Alaska from the Aleutian Islands to the Bering Strait during World War II. The ship's commanding officer was Lieutenant Commander W.W. Adams. Between 19 and 22 March 1958, then RPS ''Cebu'' participated in the first bilateral exercise between the Philippine and US Navies dubbed ''Exercise "Bulwark One"''. It took part on the 3rd phase of the exercise off the waters of Corregidor and Caballo Islands. On 1968, during the height of the so-called 'Operation Merdeka', against the combined might of the Royal Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy ships, BRP Cebu stood her 'ground' to protect the maritime border of the Philippines and confronted the British-Malaysian warships raring to do a battle with her after learning that the Philippines is preparing to invade Sabah. The stand-off between the Philippine Navy and British-Malaysian Navy lasted for 10 tense hours giving the Philippine Navy patrol craft escort/corvette a victory for not yielding even an inch of the Philippine territory. As of 23 June 2008, she and her onboard medical team participated in the search and rescue of the MV Princess of the Stars, MV ''Princess of the Stars'' of Sulpicio Lines, which capsized off the coast of San Fernando, Romblon at the height of Typhoon Fengshen on 22 June 2008. BRP ''Cebu'' and have alternately secured the Southern Sulu Sea where the Baduria Well is located. She also provides security for the West Aquarius Oil Rig. In middle of May 2018, the BRP ''Cebu'' participated in the ''Third Combined Maritime Security Activity'' with the Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Navy (RAN) along with the BRP General Mariano Alvarez (PS-38), BRP Anastacio Cacayorin (PS-381), BRP Dioscoro Papa (PG-381) and BRP Filipino Flojo (PG-386). The RAN sent the vessels HMAS Albany (ACPB 86) and HMAS Glenelg (ACPB 96) for the exercise. In the latter part of May 2018, the BRP ''Cebu'' held a meeting with the Royal Malaysian Navy, Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) ship, the Sri Tiga, KD ''Sri Tiga'' at the maritime border between Malaysia and the Philippines to exchange intelligence information as part of the ''Trilateral Maritime Patrol Programme'' in the Eastern Security Zone (Esszone) of Sabah.Technical details
There are slight differences between the BRP ''Cebu'' as compared to some of her sister ships in the Philippine Navy, since her previous configuration was as an Escort-type ASW Patrol Craft (List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy#PCE.2C Patrol Craft Escort.2C and PCER.2C Patrol Craft Rescue Escort, PCE, ie, equipment more on being a combatant), while the others are configured as Rescue-oriented ASW Escort Patrol Craft (List of patrol vessels of the United States Navy#PCE.2C Patrol Craft Escort.2C and PCER.2C Patrol Craft Rescue Escort, PCER, ie, having more equipment to tend the wounded & such, like a small hospital ship), and as minesweepers (Admirable class minesweeper, ''Admirable'' class) ships.Armaments
Originally, the ship was armed with:Electronics
Also during the refit the ship's SPS-21D surface search radar and RCA SPN-18 navigation radar was replaced by a Raytheon AN/SPS-64(V)11 surface search and navigation radar system. Later modifications included the installation of long range and satellite communications systems, and GPS system standard to all Philippine Navy ships.Machinery
The ship is powered by two GM 12-278A diesel engines, with a combined rating of around driving two propellers. The main engines can propel the 914 tons (full load) ship to a maximum speed of around .''DLSU N-ROTC Office.'In popular culture
* BRP ''Cebu'' was the ship escorting a fictional Philippine Navy ''Whidbey Island''-class LSD BRP ''Cagayan de Oro'' during a mission to reclaim the Mischief Reef from the Chinese in the 1997 novel Dragon Strike (novel), ''Dragon Strike - The Millennium War'' by Humphrey Hawksley and Simon Holberton. In the said novel, the mission failed as Chinese Su-27s sank the ''Cagayan de Oro'', and Chinese forces repulsed the attacks of the Philippine Marines to retake the reef. This resulted to the total withdrawal of the Philippines from the South China Sea war against China.Hawksley, Humphrey; Holberton, Simon (1997). Dragon Strike - The Millennium WarReferences
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