Ayungin troops treated with ‘most-missed meal’

HOMECOMING WITH CHICKENJOY Members of the Philippine Navy celebrate at Puerto Princesa City on April 10 after being posted for two months at the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal. —Photo from Naval Forces West FB page

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Navy personnel who completed last week a two-month deployment to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal were not only awarded medals but were also treated to their “most-missed meal”—spicy chicken and burger “from a well-loved fast food chain.”

The sailors came home as the Navy completed a rotation and resupply mission on April 9 to the grounded warship that serves as the country’s outpost in Ayungin, a low-tide elevation that lies within the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone and some 194 km off Palawan province.

According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the mission “concluded without any untoward incident.” Previous resupply missions to Ayungin were usually met with harassment by Chinese forces until Manila and Beijing reached last year a provisional agreement to de-escalate the situation.

READ: Day of Valor Rore mission to Ayungin went without incident – AFP

“Their return is not just a homecoming—it is a powerful reminder of the courage and commitment of our modern-day heroes,” the Naval Forces West (Navforwest) in Palawan said.

It shared photos of the Navy personnel sporting long hair, mustaches, and beards. They were awarded the Military Merit Medal by Navforwest commander Commodore Vincent Sibala, who cited their “unwavering dedication and sacrifices in upholding our sovereignty and sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.”

They also feasted on their “most-missed meal,” spicy Chickenjoy with Aloha burger, at the Naval Detachment Oyster Bay in Puerto Princesa City, the Navforwest said.

Belated birthday bash

“Those who celebrated their birthdays while on deployment received personalized dedication cakes from Naval Forces West as a belated celebration of their special day,” it added.

Deployments to far-flung detachments in the West Philippine Sea have been shortened from six months to one to three months in recent years for better mental health among troops. The Philippines has nine outposts on the islands and reefs in the Kalayaan Island Group.

Security ties with Australia

Over 20 military trainings and exchanges will be conducted by the Philippines and Australia this year, more than double compared to 2024, as they look to strengthen cooperation in line with their efforts to ensure a “peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.”

“Our ongoing and deepening interactions with the Philippines signal our commitment to being a major and reliable defense partner in the region,” Australia’s chief of joint operations, Vice Adm. Justin Jones, said in a statement.

The activities are varied in size and will involve both field and classroom-based training programs to hone “a specific skillset, mission, or area of military expertise,” according to Maj. Lachlan Newham, coordinator for the Joint Australian Training Team-Philippines.

The Philippines is expected to take part later this year in Talisman Sabre, the largest military exercise between Australia and the United States. Manila and Canberra are also planning to hold this year a larger iteration of Exercise Alon, part of the latter’s flagship biennial international engagement activity, Indo-Pacific Endeavor.

Armies of the Philippines and Australia last week conducted a two-day staff-to-staff discussion in Manila to plan their engagements for the coming year “to enhance the countries’ interoperability and capacity through combined arms training,” the Philippine Army said.

Australia also turned over last week P34 million worth of unmanned aerial systems, or drones, to the Philippine Coast Guard to boost its monitoring capabilities in the West Philippine Sea.