'Most beautiful ship' now in Manila

THE visit of the renowned Italian training ship (ITS) Amerigo Vespucci to the Philippines is a significant milestone for Italy's maritime engagement in Southeast Asia, the vessel's commander said during the visit of local media on board the "floating embassy" on Saturday. Amerigo Vespucci arrived in the Philippines Thursday night and is currently docked at the Manila harbor. The ship will remain in the country for several days, during which cadets aboard the vessel will continue their training and participate in cultural exchanges. Capt. Giuseppe Lai said this was the first time that Amerigo Vespucci had visited the Philippines as part of a global tour to promote bilateral maritime cooperation and further cement Italy's naval ties with the region. "Italy has strong ties to the region, and including Manila in this world tour was important, especially with growing maritime cooperation," he added. Lai noted the earlier visits of other Italian naval assets in the region, including ITS Cavour and ITS Alpino. "This visit is an extension of Italy's commitment to working with the Philippines in maritime security and broader naval cooperation," said Lai. Amerigo Vespucci is named after the Italian explorer and navigator from whose name "America" was also derived. It has been said that since 1931, every Italian sailor has trained on the Vespucci, dubbed the "Most Beautiful Ship in the World." It has so far visited countries on at least three continents, including Japan, Australia, India, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Lai said this is a tradition that goes back 93 years. "The mission is to represent Italy, to represent our culture, our tradition, our technology, our research, in a world tour that is not only about Italian defense," he said.