A homecoming in the Philippines

For some members of HMAS Perth, a port visit to Subic Bay in the Philippines was more than just another stop during their regional presence deployment – it was a chance to go home.

While diplomatic engagements kept some of the ship’s company busy, others took the opportunity to reconnect with family, revisit places from their childhood and experience the Philippines for the first time.

For LS Jerome Enriquez, the visit provided a long-awaited reunion with his extended family, particularly his great-grandmother.

The last time LS Enriquez saw his ‘Inang’ was more than a decade ago, when he was a teenager.

“No one knew I was coming except for my cousin who was on standby to pick me up from the ship,” he said.

Although LS Enriquez spent much of his childhood in Subic Bay, this was his first visit there as an adult.

After a three-hour journey into the mountains followed by another hour on foot, he finally reached his great-grandmother’s house and surprised his family.

“I had to keep it a secret because if my whole family came to the wharf to greet the ship, well... my family’s bigger than the ship’s company,” he said.

For LEUT Paolo De Leon, deputy maritime logistics officer on Perth, the port visit also provided an opportunity to spend time with family.

LEUT De Leon met his wife during a previous posting while they were both working at the Australian Embassy in Manila.

“I’ve obviously been back to the Philippines many times to visit my wife and our family, but this is the first time I’ve been with the Navy,” he said.

The visit gave LEUT De Leon the opportunity to spend time with his wife.

“We were able to spend some time together ashore ahead of our honeymoon, which is at the end of the year,” he said.

“This has been my favourite port visit of my career.”

For SMN Jela Sola, the visit offered a different experience.

“It’s exciting that we’re here not only for the big-ticket item, which is ADMM-Plus [ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus], but that we also get some time off and can explore places like Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar and eat some halo-halo,” she said.

For Perth’s sailors, the port visit offered something different for everyone: from formal engagements and regional cooperation to family reunions and the opportunity to discover somewhere new.

As the ship continued its regional presence deployment, the visit to Subic Bay was a reminder that the relationships strengthened through these deployments extend beyond official engagements to the personal connections and shared experiences that bring Australia and the Philippines closer together.