The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday announced that it has completed a rotation and resupply mission to its military outpost at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on 4 March 2025.

AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the mission to the BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57) was completed “without incident.”

“The completion of this mission reaffirms the AFP’s commitment not only to supporting our defenders in the WPS, but more importantly to upholding the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights not only for today’s generation but for those to come,” Brawner said in a statement.

The military’s chartered boat M/V Lapu-Lapu docked closer to the BRP Sierra Madre during the resupply, and the AFP said the mission was executed “in close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard.”

This marks the second time this year Chinese ships did not intervene in the AFP’s resupply mission in the disputed waters. The mission followed a previous resupply operation on 25 January.

AFP Public Affairs Chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad confirmed a Chinese presence during the mission.

“While en route to BRP Sierra Madre, we monitored several Chinese vessels in the general area. Despite the presence of these foreign vessels, the entire operation was completed without confrontation or incident,” Trinidad said in a message to DAILY TRIBUNE.

To recall, tensions have escalated over Ayungin Shoal, located within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, due to China’s territorial claims.

The BRP Sierra Madre, a Philippine Navy vessel, has been grounded at the shoal since 1999, serving as a military outpost.

China claims the shoal, which it calls Ren’ai Jiao, as part of its Nansha Qundao region. The Philippines maintains sovereignty over the shoal, citing the 2016 arbitral ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The AFP said the 4 March mission was the fifth consecutive resupply operation completed without incident.

“This milestone highlights the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ unwavering commitment to ensuring continuous logistical and operational support to our personnel, despite the challenging security environment in the West Philippine Sea,” Trinidad said.

He said the mission reinforces the AFP’s efforts to support troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre.

The AFP said five resupply missions were completed without incident on the following dates — 27 July 2023; 27 September 2023; 15 November 2023; 25 January 2024 and 4 March 2025.

Last year, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced the Philippines and China reached a “provisional arrangement” for resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre.

The DFA said “both sides concurred that the agreement will not prejudice each other’s positions in the South China Sea.”

“The Philippines and the People’s Republic of China have reached an understanding on the provisional arrangement for the resupply of daily necessities and rotation missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal,” the DFA said in a statement released 21 July 2023.

The agreement followed consultations and discussions at the 9th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism meeting on the South China Sea on 2 July 2023, in Manila.

National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said the Philippines did not enter into an arrangement on China’s terms, stressing that the “provisional arrangement” aimed to “deescalate tension” in the West Philippine Sea and promote peaceful resolutions while maintaining the country’s sovereign rights.