Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. met with Omani officials and Philippine Navy ships anchored at Port Sultan Qaboos.
Locsin met with Omani Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Allawi, at the Foreign Ministry in Muscat to discuss bilateral and regional issues.
The officials also agreed to conclude several pending agreements.
“Minister Allawi stressed the positive contributions of the Filipinos in Oman emphasizing their role in nation-building,” according to a DFA statement.
In a statement, the DFA also reported that Locsin also visited two Philippine Navy ships, BRP Davao del Sur and BRP Ramon Alcaraz, anchored at Port Sultan Qaboos.
The ships arrived last month in Oman as part of the Philippines’ preparations and contingency planning for any crisis in the region.
In a social media post, Locsin said he was “showing the flag and making our people abroad proud of finally having a government that concretely cares about them abroad.”
“Sure it’s just a start and we need many more ships—and under this government, we shall have them. The national defence should be national first foremost,” he added.
Locsin was received by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Vice Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Gaudencio Collado Jr. and the 391 crew members.
Locsin praised the valuable contribution of the AFP as the “iron glove in Philippine diplomacy, as well as in strengthening our country’s defenses.”
