Please help me to understand one sentence?

[Angie8]

I'm reading a book and don't understand the phrase "as far away from Ulster as the Philippines" as shown below. What does it mean using the word with "Philippines" here? Please help me to understand it. Thanks so much!

"He [Gerry Kelly] has since become an accomplished TV performer, as well as someone who has tried to mediate in conflicts around the world, as far away from Ulster as the Philippines, using his violent past to help bring about peace in a way which many people consider admirable. As a result of that short conversation I was convinced that Gerry Kelly was genuine about changing himself, and because he was so admired within the IRA I was also convinced that the IRA itself was therefore genuine about the peace process. It might actually work."

[Grumpy]

It simply means that one of the places around the world where Gerry Kelly had tried to mediate in a conflict was the Philippines. It also made the point that he had to travel a long distance from his home in Ulster ["far away"] to do that: emphasising (in the writer's opinion) how committed Mr Kelly was to doing that.

[Frank Antonson]

And there is ellipsis. The word "is" is understood.

..."as far away from Ulster as the Philippines" (is far away from Ulster)...

Frank