Phl sends all-navy peacekeepers to Haiti

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippines today sent a 157-member all-navy peacekeeping contingent to Haiti.

The contingent is composed of 11 officers and 146 enlisted personnel, 33 of which came from the Philippine Marine corps. Nine of the 157 members are female, said the Philippine Navy's public affairs office.

The office said the contingent will serve for six to nine months in Haiti.

The troops will be tasked to provide perimeter security to the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, provide administrative and logistics clerical services to the headquarters, operate their military vehicles, and provide VIP security to specified personalities by the Force Headquarters.

The Armed Force of the Philippines has been sending contingents in Haiti since 2004 as part of its commitment to international peace and security and the UN peacekeeping missions.

Haiti suffered political unrest over the past decades and a deadly earthquake that resulted to a quarter of a million deaths and further dropped the Haitian economy and infrastructure.