When a Philippine Navy quartermaster arrived on the wharf in Subic to meet HMAS Ballarat, he was surprised to learn of a distant family connection on board.

Ballarat’s commanding officer sparked up a conversation with the sailor, noting he had the surname Penafiel – the same last name as a member of the ship’s company.

The sailor brushed it off, joking, “he’s probably just Spanish or Mexican”, and the conversation went no further.

But it did spark an interest.

Soon after, physical training instructor Leading Seaman Phil Penafiel received a Facebook message from his father in Australia saying one of his cousins in the Philippines had reached out to ask if he had a son on board Ballarat.

The family is one of many from the Philippines who settled in Mt Gambier, in South Australia.

This was quickly followed with the pair connecting on social media to coordinate a meeting.

“Family is such a strong value in Filipino culture,” Leading Seaman Penafiel said.

“Filipinos are very much bonded by family and family values, so I would never waste an opportunity to meet another family member, no matter where they are in the world.”

'Sharing family photos and discovering how our families were connected was pretty surreal.'

Leading Seaman Penafiel invited Carlo (his cousin) to the ship so they could meet.

“We had a really awesome time getting to know one another,” Leading Seaman Penafiel said.

“Sharing family photos and discovering how our families were connected was pretty surreal.”

Carlo plays representative basketball for the Philippine Navy and presented him with a jersey with ‘Penafiel’ proudly adorned on the back.

Leading Seaman Penafiel reciprocated with a physical training instructor cap with his name inscribed.

“I’ve been planning to come back to the Philippines since before COVID but haven’t had the chance,” Leading Seaman Penafiel said.

“So visiting with the Navy for the first time in nine years was such an amazing experience.

“I’ve done some pretty amazing things in my career, but this one really hit home for me and is definitely a highlight.

"My family, including my partner and I, have already planned to come back next year, and Carlo and I have organised to catch up when I return.”

Ballarat visited the Philippines as part of a regional presence deployment.