Philippine Navy’s ship BRP Ivatan (LC298) recently made its historic berthing in the nearly-finished port of Brgy. Pag-asa Island, Kalayaan, Palawan.
Naval Forces West (NFW) Acting Public Information Officer, Lt. Maivi Neri said that the BRP Ivatan was the first ship of the Philippine Navy to dock in the sheltered port of Kalayaan, in connection of Troop Rotation and Reprovisioning Mission (RORE) at the different KIG detachments of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Simula po noong May 8, nagsimula na po ‘yung troop Rotation and Reprovisioning Mission po ng Naval Forces West gamit po ang LC98 o ang BRP Ivatan as a platform. Ngayon, kasama po sa mga isla na pupuntahan nila para sa troop Rotation and Reprovisioning Mission ay ang Pag-asa [Island] at dahil mayroon nga pong constructed port doon, pero hindi pa ‘yun matatawag na totally completed, nakapag-dock po ang barko natin doon sa kauna-unahang pagkakataon,” according to Lt. Neri through a phone interview.
She further stated that the CL298 docked in Pag-asa Island in early morning of May 13. Prior to this, the ship has already fulfilled its missions in other Philippine-occupied detachments such as in Rizal Reef Detachment (RRD), Lawak and Patag Islands in similar purpose of delivering the necessary supplies and goods for consumption of the Sailors and Marines assigned in the area as security personnel.
“First time po nitong makarating sa Pag-asa and at the same time, ‘yun din po ang kauna-unahang barko na naka-dock [doon] dahil nga po mayroon na pong port doon na hindi lang po para sa military kundi sa mga fishermen natin,” she said.
The construction of Kalayaan port, a joint project of the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Provincial Government of Palawan, has been started last 2017. Currently, Lt. Neri said that the project dubbed as a “fisher’s port” is now “almost complete.”
“Fisher’s port po ‘yung tawag nila na roon kasi pwede pong dumaong doon ang mga mangingisda natin, pati ang mga taga-Pag-asa po na mga may bangka, lalo na po kung may bagyo,” she said.
“Yung sheltered port po, hundred percent na po ang Phase 1,” LGU Kalayaan Spokesperson MP Albayda said through a chat message when asked about the development of their port area.
And on May 14, BRP Ivatan left Kalayaan ang traversed again the West Philippine Sea, heading back to Puerto Princesa and arrived here last May 17.
Meanwhile, Lt. Neri assured the public that the NFW continues its mission amidst the crisis.
“Amidst COVID-19 pandemic, the Naval Forces West continuosly conducts its mission to defend the country’s Westerm Frontier,” she said.