Manila: HMNZS Aotearoa, the Royal New Zealand Navy's largest support vessel, docked in Manila for a goodwill visit. This marks HMNZS Aotearoa's second visit to the Philippines in the past five years, following the recent signing of the Philippines-New Zealand Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOVFA).

According to Philippines News Agency, New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Catherine McIntosh, speaking on board the ship, highlighted the visit as an indication of Wellington's interest in enhancing defense ties with Manila. The Ambassador expressed New Zealand's eagerness to increase activities and strengthen relationships within the defense sector.

The vessel first visited the Philippines in 2023 and later participated in a multilateral maritime cooperation activity (MMCA) with the Philippines, Australia, the United States, and Japan in the West Philippine Sea. With SOVFA in place, Commanding Officer Robert Welford anticipates more MMCAs involving HMNZS Aotearoa upon invitations from the Philippines.

The ship's officers are scheduled for a series of defense engagements and courtesy calls with local counterparts during their visit, which will last until November 3. HMNZS Aotearoa's current port call at Manila South Harbor follows deployments in Singapore and Vietnam, with plans to proceed to Japan afterward.

Welford emphasized New Zealand's focus on the Indo-Pacific region, affirming the strategic importance of Southeast and Northeast Asia to New Zealand.