As Filipinos across the country gathered to celebrate Christmas, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) carried out a sustainment mission to ensure that troops stationed in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) received essential supplies and traditional Noche Buena packages ahead of the holiday.

Completed on 23 December, the operation provided logistical support to Filipino soldiers and sailors deployed in Philippine-occupied features, including BRP Sierra Madre (LS-57) in Ayungin Shoal, Pag-asa Island, Panata Island, Rizal Reef Station, Kota Island, Parola, Lawak, Likas, and Patag Island—areas considered among the country’s most remote and strategically significant positions.

The mission was led by the AFP’s Western Command under the leadership of Vice Admiral Alfonso F. Torres Jr., ensuring the timely delivery of food, medical supplies, and other necessities to personnel spending the holidays far from their families while continuing their duty to safeguard national territory.

Beyond logistics, the operation coincided with the AFP’s 90th Founding Anniversary and underscored the institution’s commitment to maintaining morale and welfare among frontline troops. It also reaffirmed the military’s sustained presence in the WPS amid ongoing regional tensions.

The AFP said the mission reflects its resolve to support Filipino troops wherever they are deployed, as it continues to assert the country’s sovereign rights and defend national interests in the West Philippine Sea—even during the holiday season.