No incidents reported in 5th Ayungin Shoal resupply mission — DFA

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that the Philippines’ latest rotation and reprovisioning (RORE) mission to Ayungin Shoal on January 24 was completed without any untoward incidents.

This marks the fifth successful resupply operation to troops aboard the BRP Sierra Madre under the Philippines-China understanding on RORE, an arrangement aimed at minimizing tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

“The Philippines today completed another RORE mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, and again, no untoward incidents were reported,” Daza said in a statement on Friday, January 24.

The DFA official credited the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard for their professionalism in carrying out the mission, which she said “demonstrates that effective diplomacy plays a leading role in West Philippine Sea issues and creates pathways to innovative approaches that help manage the situation, without compromising the Philippine national interest.”

The Philippines and China reaffirmed the RORE arrangement during the 10th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) held earlier this month in Xiamen. 

Originally established in July 2024, the agreement outlines principles for conducting resupply missions “for the purpose of avoiding misunderstandings and miscalculations, without prejudice to national positions.”

“The Philippines views the latest RORE mission and the continued adherence to the understanding on the principles and approaches to such missions as substantial demonstrations of diplomatic and pragmatic cooperation in dealing with issues in the South China Sea,” Daza said.

Situated within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, the Ayungin Shoal or the Second Thomas Shoal is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, standing as a symbol of the country's sovereignty.

The contested reef lies about 200 kilometers (120 miles) from Palawan and more than 1,000 kilometres from China's nearest major landmass, Hainan island.

A small group of Filipino marines stationed on the deteriorating ship BRP Sierra Madre relies on resupply missions to sustain their remote assignment and reinforce the Philippines' territorial claims.

Beijing asserts control over nearly the entire South China Sea, a vital route for trillions of dollars in trade each year, disregarding a 2016 international court decision that invalidated its claim due to lack of legal foundation.