Two Navy ships arrive in Manila after five months abroad

June 16, 2020

After five months of deployment in Middle East, the Philippine Navy contingents onboard BRP Ramon Alcaraz and BRP Davao Del Sur finally arrived in Manila on Tuesday.

Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, acting Philippine Navy public affairs chief,  said the arrival and welcome ceremony for the Naval Task Force (NTF) 82 onboard the two vessels was held at Pier 15, in South Harbor.

The ceremony that was led by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana was also joined by AFP chief of staff, Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., AFP vice chief and commander of Joint Task Force (JTF) Pagpauli, Vice Adm. Gaudencio Collado Jr., Navy flag officer in command, Vice Adm. Giovanni Carlo Bacordo and other AFP senior officers.

In his remarks, Lorenzana welcomed and lauded the returning troops for their successful mission.

"Congratulations for a job well done.. welcome home and thank you for your service," he said.

Roxas said Bacordo regarded the "mission as a tangible outcome of the Navy's vigorous pursuit of the modernization of assets and personnel mindsets in order to provide better, efficient and prompt assistance to our fellow Filipinos wherever they are in the world."

"It also magnified the importance and usefulness of reservists who voluntarily augmented this mission as subject matter experts being seasoned seafarers who have honed their exceptional expertise particularly in navigation, piloting, and marine engineering," she said.

"The two vessels’ arrival also manifests the competency of the NTF leadership who was able to accomplish the mission and bring home the contingent and stranded Filipinos safely and COVID-free in what is considered as the farthest and longest voyage that the PN has ever covered and sustained," she added.

Roxas said the return of the repatriates to their residences will be coordinated with respective local government units while boxes of face masks donated by Filipino donor, Paul Dantes of LegalZoc Co. will be coordinated with the Office of Civil Defense."

"The repatriation and hauling of face masks were made possible with the assistance of the Philippine Embassy  in India headed by Amb. Ramon Bagatsing Jr.," she said.

Roxas said the NTF 82 headed by Col. Noel Beleran was deployed in January this year in support to JTF Pagpauli for bringing Filipinos home amid the looming conflict in the Middle East.

The PN delegates were tasked to bring donated face masks and repatriating the stranded Filipinos from India and Sri Lanka after the tension had eased and the coronavirus disease began to sweep across the globe.

"This deployment also paved the way for reinforcing diplomatic ties with Oman, Sri Lanka and India through counterpart visits and fostering national pride through engagements with Filipino communities there," she said. Robina Asido/DMS