The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has taken a leading role in supporting a historic underwater recovery mission led by the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to account for American prisoners of war (POWs) lost during World War II.
Serving as the mission’s primary logistical
backbone, the SBMA has mobilized its extensive harbor resources and shore-based
infrastructure to facilitate the operation.
The authority has streamlined the deployment of
specialized U.S. Navy diving units and forensic experts by providing dedicated
pier space, securing maritime exclusion zones, and ensuring the seamless
movement of technical equipment through the Freeport Zone.
The recovery efforts are focused on the wreckage of
the Oryoku Maru, a Japanese "hell ship" sunk in December 1944. The
site, located roughly 550 yards from the Olongapo shoreline, presents
significant technical challenges.
To mitigate these, the SBMA Harbor Patrol and Law
Enforcement Department have established a 24-hour security perimeter, ensuring
the safety of the dive teams while maintaining the flow of commercial traffic
in the busy harbor.
Beyond maritime security, the SBMA has provided the U.S. team with administrative support and local coordination with Philippine national agencies.
This partnership underscores the enduring strategic and humanitarian relationship between the SBMA and the U.S. military, building on the decades-long shared history of the Subic Bay Naval Base.
The mission is expected to continue for several
weeks, with the SBMA providing ongoing operational support until the recovery
phase is complete. All remains recovered will be handled with full military honors
before being transported for forensic identification. (SNL)
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