For Able Seaman Elijah Simangan, sacrifice and service are not just merely words, they're touchstones that define his family's DNA.
"My family knows [what] it is to fight for your country and your freedom," he said.
"Generations of my family have fought for their freedom, and I guess those values have passed down through the Simangan family."
Serving in the Royal Australian Navy, Able Seaman Simangan has the opportunity to visit Subic Bay in the Philippines when HMAS Toowoomba visited as part of its Regional Presence Deployment.
He described it as an almost spiritual experience, as the Philippines represent where his family first discovered their dedication to duty.
"It will be very emotional, knowing my great-grandfather was an officer in the Philippine Army, and I followed in his footsteps joining the military," Able Seaman Elijah Simangan said.
'I hope I can be an example of how well Australia and the Philippines can work together.'
His great-grandfather, Melchor Simangan Sr, was a Lieutenant in the Philippine Army in the Second World War.
After being captured at the Battle of Bataan in early 1942, he was held as a prisoner of war.
After victory in the Pacific, he continued to serve as a reservist captain in the Philippine Army, ultimately becoming a university professor and father to ten children.
"It's like our lives have joined together, connected through time across the Philippines and Australia. It fills me with great pride in our shared commitment to serving our countries and protecting our family," Able Seaman Simangan said.
Able Seaman Simangan feels the deployment honours his family's past and future.
"They are going to be so happy to know I have gone to the Philippines representing Australia. I am representing both countries, in a sense," he said.
HMAS Toowoomba's Regional Presence Deployment demonstrates Australia's commitment and ability to maintain a near-continuous presence in the region while also demonstrating Australia's commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific, where sovereignty and agreed rules and norms are respected.
For Able Seaman Simangan, he believes it's stories like his that personify Australia's commitment to our regional partners.
"I hope I can be an example of how well Australia and the Philippines can work together. Even though I have an ancestry that is Filipino, I now have the honour of serving my country, and because of our nation's close partnership, I have this chance to help further develop that bond," he said.
'My family knows [what] it is to fight for your country and your freedom.'
HMAS Toowoomba Commanding Officer Commander Alicia Harrison said Able Seaman Simangan's story shows just how intertwined Australia is with our regional partners.
"HMAS Toowoomba's committed and diverse crew is a cultural snapshot of the Australian population," Commander Harrison said.
"We all stand tall as proud Australians, but when you dig below the surface, many of us find a rich history of cultural roots in Asia.
"These connections Australians share with Southeast and East Asia not only demonstrate our shared values, but [a] shared sense of commitment to the region."
HMAS Toowoomba is undertaking an Indo-Pacific Regional Presence Deployment throughout South and Southeast Asia, conducting training, exercises and other engagements with Australia's regional partners.
The deployments play a vital role in Australia's long-term security and prosperity by protecting Australia's interests, preserving global rules-based order, enhancing cooperation and relationships with regional partners and allies, and developing capability and interoperability.
