In the Know: 730 Filipino peacekeepers posted in 9 UN missions

MANILA, Philippines—There are 730 Filipino peacekeepers in nine United Nations peacekeeping missions overseas as of January 2013.

UN data showed that peacekeepers from the Philippines—composed of police and soldiers—are engaged in peacekeeping operations in Haiti, Afghanistan, Syria (where 21 Filipino peacekeepers have been seized by Syrian rebels), Sudan, Liberia, South Sudan, India, Pakistan and Cote d’Ivoire.

A UN peacekeeping operation, which includes military, police and civilian personnel, seeks to bring security, political and early peace-building support.

In 2008, Manila reaffirmed the UN standby arrangement system which states that “UN member-states commit to contribute specified military units and personnel to perform specific functions in various UN peacekeeping missions.”

In 2010, three Filipino peacekeepers died in an earthquake in Haiti. Navy Data Processor 3 Pearly Panangui, Air Force Sgt. Janice Arocena and UN executive assistant Jerome Yap were all working in UN offices in the Haiti capital of Port-au-Prince when the temblor toppled the building.

Since the 1950s, the Philippines has sent peacekeepers to Korea, Congo, Afghanistan, Burundi, Cambodia, Cote d’Ivoire, Darfur, Georgia, Haiti, Iraq, Liberia, Kashmir, Kosovo, Nepal, Sudan and Timor Leste.—Ana Roa, Inquirer Research

Sources: United Nations, Inquirer Archives