BRP Quezon ( PS - 70 ) The BRP " Quezon " ( PS - 70 ) is one of two " Rizal " class ships in service with the Philippine Navy . She was formerly a USN " Auk " class minesweeper produced during World War II , and is now classified as a patrol corvette protecting the vast waters of the Philippines . Along with other ex - World War II veteran ships of the Philippine Navy , she is considered as one of the oldest active fighting ships in the world today . History . was originally laid down for the Royal Navy under the lend - lease program as HMS Exploit ( BAM - 24 ) . However the United States Navy decided to keep the ship and renamed her Vigilance ( AM - 324 ) on 23 January 1943 . Commissioned in the US Navy in 1944 , her first duties included screening of transport convoys between Pearl Harbor and the Marshall Islands and local escort duties between Guam , Peleliu , and Ulithiat . She also did minesweeping duties and anti - submarine patrols near Okinawa , was able to assist in anti - aircraft duties with other vessels , and assisting in firefighting and treatment of wounded from USS " Whitehurst " ( DE - 634 ) and USS " England " ( DE - 635 ) . She was able to shoot a number of attacking Japanese aircraft during this period . She continued on minesweeping and patrol duties in Leyte , Philippine Islands , and in the Japanese home islands before and after Japan surrendered . With her service during World War II , she was awarded with three battle stars . She was then transferred to the Philippines in 19 August 1967 and was commissioned to the Philippine Navy as the RPS ( now BRP ) " Quezon " ( PS - 70 ) , and together with her sister ship , was one of the Navy ' s main warships during the 1960s up to the present . She was stricken from the navy in late 1994 , but was overhauled at the Cavite Naval Dockyard and returned to service in 1995 . Some of her weapons were also removed , mainly its anti - submarine equipment due to lack of spare parts . This includes the five Mk6 depth charge projectors and two depth charge racks . This move totally removed her anti - submarine warfare capabilities , which were outdated . " Quezon " completed a rehabilitation overhaul in April 1996 by Hatch & Kirk , wherein she was fitted with a remanufactured EMD 645C diesel engines , rehabilitation works , and equipping the ship with state - of - the - art safety equipment on deck and engine room with all digital control panels . Recent upgrades includes a satellite radio dish for communications . Present Status . Her current classification is Patrol Corvette . She is currently assigned to the Patrol Force of the Philippine Navy . Notable Deployments and Operations . Exercises . On 10 April 2007 , " Quezon " , together with BRP " Artemio Ricarte " and BRP " Bienvenido Salting " , took part in a 10 - day naval exercises with the Malaysian Navy dubbed " MALPHI LAUT 2007 " . Malaysian vessels that took part include KD " Kedah " , KD " Laksamana Tan Pusmah " , and KD " Yu " . On 19 – 23 July 2011 , BRP " Quezon " together with BRP " Bacolod City " ( LC - 550 ) was part of Amphibious Exercise PAGSISIKAP 2011 held in Manila Bay . Deployments . BRP " Quezon " represented the Philippines in the Indonesian Fleet Review and Sail Bunaken 2009 festival , an international sea event held in Manado , North Sulawesi , Indonesia . BRP " Quezon " together with BRP " Dagupan City " ( LC - 551 ) were sent to Singapore and Malaysia from November to December 2009 for an overseas training cruise for students from the Naval Education and Training Command and the Fleet Training Center , and as part of the Philippine contingent at Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibit ( LIMA ) in Malaysia .