The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) will participate in the next multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) in the Philippine Sea.
Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines David Hartman announced during a reception after the HMCS Ottawa made a port call in Manila on Feb. 7.
The same vessel, he said, will join the 7th Philippine-led MCCA within the country’s exclusive economic zone as it departs Manila this week.
“At every opportunity we have worked with the Philippines Navy and partners to undertake multilateral maritime cooperative activities,” he said.
“We committed to reinforce our diplomatic presence across the Indo-Pacific. Nowhere is that more evident than here in the Philippines.”
The last MMCA was held on Feb. 5 involving naval and air force units from Australia, Japan, Philippines, and United States.
Hartman reiterated that Canada is committed to “upholding the rules-based international order” and conveyed anew its opposition to provocative Chinese activities in the area.
“We have been vocal in confronting the provocative and unlawful actions of the People’s Republic of China in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea. And we will continue to do so,” he added.
HMCS Ottawa’s visit to Manila, its first for the year, is part of Canada’s show of commitment to the region under its Indo-Pacific strategy, the Canadian Embassy said.
During the visit, its crew conducted professional development and training opportunities with the Philippine Navy, community outreach, and friendly games of basketball and ice hockey.
“Port visits are ideal occasions for our crew to explore and strengthen the deep connection Canadians have with friends and counterparts in the Indo-Pacific, including those here in the Philippines,” Commander Adriano Lozer, the former commanding officer of HMCS Ottawa, said.
“Through our ongoing engagements in the Indo-Pacific, the Royal Canadian Navy is reinforcing partnerships with trusted partners from across the region.”
HMCS Ottawa’s deployment is part of Operation HORIZON, Canada’s forward presence to promote peace and stability in some of the world’s busiest and most vital waterways.
The vessel, together with an embarked air detachment operating a CH-148 Cyclone maritime helicopter, has around 240 highly trained and professional sailors, soldiers, and aviators, including 15 of Philippine descent.
The HMCS Ottawa, one of the RCN’s 12 Halifax-class frigates, is equipped with extensive anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare weapons and sensors to complement their substantial anti-air warfare defenses.
Its last port call in the country was in Subic Bay in 2023, when it participated in the Exercise Samasama with the Philippines and the United States. (PNA)