PN contingent arrives after joining ASEAN-US sea drill

September 17, 2019

The Philippine Navy contingent which joined the ASEAN-United States Maritime Exercise ( AUMX) arrived in Manila on Monday.

Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, acting director of the Naval Public Affairs Office, said the 160-man contingent on BRP Ramon Alcaraz were given arrival and welcome ceremony at Pier 13 in South Harbor.

They joined in the inaugural exercise conducted off the waters of Sattahip, Thailand on Sept. 2 to 6 and a port visit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

“Representing the PN Flag Officer in Command was the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Adm. Loumer  Bernabe who oversaw the ceremony and joined the families and friends for the homecoming of sailors and marines comprising the Naval Task Force (NTF) 80.5 headed by its commander, Navy Captain Hilarion Cesista,” she said.

Roxas said Bernabe stressed that the participation of the Philippine Navy to the ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise 2019 and the third visit in Vietnam is another defining moment for the organization.

“Our presence signifies the continuing support we extend in fostering peace, security and progress in the Southeast Asean region. We successfully achieve our objective to enhance and strengthen cooperation, partnership and unity with other participants through AUMX and the port visit conducted in Vietnam,” said Bernabe.

The NTG 80.5 made a stop at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for a port visit after its participation in AUMX in Thailand.

“In here, they interacted with counterparts from the 2nd Naval Region of the Vietnam People’s Navy that included courtesy calls and other confidence-building activities such as shipboard tour, reception and friendly games,”  Roxas said.

Roxas said the Philippine Navy’s (PN’s) “successful participation in AUMX 2019 and port visit in Vietnam was another big leap in enhancing and advancing the organization’s core competency and operational capabilities of surface assets in naval operations to multilateral level, thereby increasing readiness and interoperability.”

“It was an opportunity to showcase that the PN can keep up with other navies in the world,” she said.

AUMX 2019 is the first-ever maritime drill between the navies of the ASEAN member states and the United States of America and the fourth International Defense and Security Engagement that the PN has participated in this year, said Roxas.

The highlight of this exercise was the sea phase in the Gulf of Thailand where BRP Ramon Alcaraz joined six other warships in the conduct of scenario-based visit, board, search and seizure of chartered commercial ships as vessels of interest. Robina Asido/DMS