http://www.philippinemarinecorps.mil.ph/pmchistory.html


History
The Beginning
Liberation of Kauswagan
Breaching the Bloodiest Highway
The Fall of Bushra
The Siege of Sarmiento
Crushing of Abubakar
Home

The Philippine Marine Corps' history unfolded during the incumbency of President Elpidio Quirino. Pursuant to AFP General Order Nr. 319 dated November 2, 1950, the organization of "A" Company, 1st Marine Battalion as a unit of the Philippine Naval Patrol was authorized and thus, the Philippine Marines was formed. However, it was under the mandate of the then Secretary of National Defense Ramon Magsaysay that "A" Company was activated on November 7, 1950 at the Naval Operating Base in Cavite.

Considering the projected dangers of its employment, only volunteers were accepted to this special unit. Six officers and 206 enlisted personnel, mostly World War II veterans, formed the core of this organization, which eventually became the cutting edge of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Then LTSG Manuel Gomez, a graduate of Philippine Military Academy Class 41 and a graduate of Armor Tactics in Fort Knox Kentucky was designated as the first commanding officer. Upon him rested the direct responsibility of training, equipping and organizing the newly established unit.

Lieutenant Gomez, in his first meeting with the staff uttered his vision:

"The task of training this young men into Marines vested upon us: today, as we start training them, we will be striking the first hammer blow in forging the "cutting edge" of the Armed Forces." The Ex-O that time was LTJG Gregorio Lim who served as training and planning officer. The first officers included LTJG Fernando Nuevo, LTJG Otillo Jaro, ENS Wilfredo Agaloos, ENS Bergonio Luna, 2Lt Francisco T San Miguel and 2Lt Agapito Natividad. With everything in order, the training began and the lives of these 1st Marine Company members were never the same again.
After barely five months of training, the unit was ordered to conduct its first amphibious assault at Umiray, Quezon on April 19, 1951. To the disappointment of the members, however, they seized their first beachhead unopposed. Instead, this group of daring warriors had their baptism of fire on June 4 of the same year in Nueva Ecija.

From the sounding of the reveille to taps, they trained and worked hard in their bid to attain the best in soldiery. When a team of U.S. Marine Drill Instructors arrived during the initial phase of the training, Lieutenant Gomez was asked whether the Philippine Marines would be able to keep up with the outstanding traditions of the U.S. Marines. To this, the young Lieutenant replied: "The Filipino Marines do not intend to bask on the glories earned by the Marines of other countries. When we shall finally assault some bloody beaches, we will start our own traditions."

Since that daring act in Nueva Ecija, the Marines have never left the combat zone. They saw action practically in all parts of the country. While engaged in fight against the Huks in Luzon, they also formed detachments of platoon and squad size units deployed against pirates and smugglers plying the sully sea frontiers in Mindanao and against other lawless elements. Likewise, they were deployed in various provinces in Luzon and the Visayas.

In due course, the need to augment the Company was realized albeit gradually. As such, on November 7, 1955, it was expanded to a battalion of two rifle companies with Headquarters and Service Company under then Lieutenant Commander Gregorio L. Lim PN as Battalion Commander. Years later, on November 7, 1961, the 3rd Marine Company was activated. Eventually, a Weapons Company was also activated on April 10, 1966 to provide the necessary fire and anti-tank support for the Philippine Marine Battalion as well as to provide ceremonial guard and security to VIP's. Two years later, the Philippine Marine Battalion was expanded to a force of nine rifle companies.

In an effort to uphold the country's sovereignty over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), Marines were deployed in and occupied eight islands of the KIG in 1971. The covert and highly top secret operation signified the first use of Marines in a strategic nature. The Marines survived the loneliness, psychological stress, and grueling monotony of guarding the isolated islets of which the largest is Pag-Asa Island with a land area of 32 hectares.

The real test for the Corps came when national unrest again swept the country in the early 70's. The secessionist group in Mindanao deployed its troops for open hostilities against the government while the dormant communist movement in Luzon was showing indications of resurgence. During these critical times, the people clamored for the deployment of the Marines in their provinces to keep peace. As such more Marine units had to be activated and fielded to join other units in these areas of conflict.

On February 21, 1972, the unit was re-designated as the Philippine Marine Brigade. With the activation of the 2nd Marine Battalion Landing Team on October 10, 1972, 12 rifle companies fielded the units. Moreover, the Headquarters Service Group and a Combat Support Group were activated. Commodore Rudiardo A Brown AFP was the first star rank to be addressed Commandant followed by Brigadier General Rodolfo M Punsalang AFP. Finally, on July 1, 1972, the Philippine Marine Brigade became a major unit of the Navy. The following year, the 3rd Marine Battalion was activated and the Marine Training Group became an adjunct to the organization.

The beginning of the Muslim strife in Lanao in the middle part of 1972 signified the outburst of a long Secessionist War in the Mindanao-Sulu areas. The secessionist rebellion erupted with the simultaneous attacks at Camp Amai-Pakpak in Marawi City and a PC Detachment near Pantar Bridge on October 1, 1972. A Marine contingent rushed from its Headquarters in Maria Cristina, Baloi, Lanao del Norte to quell the uprising. The Marines succeeded in retaking Pantar Bridge under stiff enemy resistance, then move towards Camp Amai-Pakpak to reinforce the beleaguered PC elements. The next day, 18 Marines and eight constable, backed by two armored cars, drove on to Mindanao State University and subsequently regained control of the campus, liberating about 200 civilian hostages including a Japanese Ambassador. It was after this incident that the 1st Provisional Tactical Battalion (PTB) in Lanao was recognized as an outstanding tactical unit.

Notably, on June 1, 1976, the Philippine Marine Brigade and the Marine Training Group were designated as the Philippine Marines and the Philippine Marine Training Center respectively.

From 70's to the 80's, over 300 amphibious and sustained ground operations were conducted by the Marines exacting enemy casualties in Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan. Among these combat exploits were the Liberation of Marawi, Siege of Camp Seit, Battle of Punai, Battle of Sibalo Hill, Labangon Encounter, Operation "Pamukpok", Operation "Maso", Operation "Batikus", Operation "Kahil", Battle of Tarawakan and the Battle of Karundong.

The 80's saw the resurgence of communism in the country. This new development once again triggered the need to deploy more Marine units in communist-infested areas. This allowed the Philippine Marines to prove once more their effectiveness in winning the hearts and minds of the people. On June 20, 1983, during the second month of a three-month combat operation covering 7 provinces and 700-kilometer distance from Davao del Norte northward to Surigao Del Sur, the 5th Marine Battalion decimated a 70-man band of New People's Army regulars belonging to the Main Regular Guerilla Unit (MRGU) in Valencia, Bukidnoon. Thirty two rebels were killed and 21 assorted high-powered firearms recovered which tremendously caused a major setback on the Local Communist Movement. On July 3, 1984, in another major encounter, the 2nd Marine Battalion Landing Team under the 3rd Marine Brigade almost wiped-out a regular platoon in tugbok District, Davao City. Based on captured enemy documents, the Communist in Mindanao assessed in 1983-1987 that they never felt the pinch of the AFP operations except in those two incidents.

The 90's witnessed the emergence of a new terrorist group in Mindanao - the Abu Sayaff Group (ASG). On February 1993, the ASG hugged national attention when it launched a series of kidnappings in Basilan Province. Among the kidnapped victims were Father Blanco, a Claretian priest in Basilan and Luis Anthony Biel III, the 5-year old son of a transport magnate. The 2nd Marine Brigade, then under BGEN GUILLERMO R RUIZ AFP who was the concurrent Commander of the Basilan Island Command, launched 14 major operations that led to the escape of Father Blanco, the safe release of Biel and the capture of the ASG stronghold - Camp Al-Madinah.

On November 7, 1995, the Philippine Marine was renamed as the Philippine Marine Corps, Philippine Navy. Over the years, the Corps has evolved from a company of volunteers to three Marine Brigades and one Marine Reserve Brigade, ten Battalion Landing Teams, a Combat Support Brigade, one Reconnaissance Battalion, a Training Center, Headquarters Battalion and Marine Security Escort Group.

Recently, hostilities in Mindanao erupted once more and perpetrated by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) led by Hashim Salamat. The 1st Marine Brigade under BGEN EMMANUEL R TEODOSIO AFP was redeployed in Cagayan de Oro City from Palawan. The brigade barely unloaded its equipment on March 16, 2000 at the 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army when the MILF took the Kauswagan Town Hall and held hostage more than 300 civilians.

By sundown, Kauswagan was liberated from the MILF by 1MBDE with its OPCON units (the Combat Service Support Brigade, the MBLT-1/4/10 and the 61st Marine Reconnaissance Company). The resulting battle accounted for eight enemy body counts. In the ensuing battle, the government forces were able to capture Camp John Mack and Camp Bilal, which served as the springboard for MILF offensive operations. Two officers and 36 men were wounded during the final assault.

Due to setbacks it experienced at the Municipality of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, the MILF consolidated its forces at the Maguindanao area. The MILF rebels occupied the stretch of Narciso Ramos highway, setting up checkpoints and extorting money from motorists plying that area. The 3rd Marine Brigade arrived in Maguindanao on April 16, 2000. Despite warnings from government to vacate the Narciso Ramos highway, the MILF rebels remained adamant. On April 29,2000, the 3rd Marine Brigade with its OPCON units (MBLT-2/6/9 and 62 Marine Reconnaissance Company) under the 6ID OPLAN "DOMINANCE" was tasked to clear the Narciso Ramos Highway. The operating elements of the Marines encountered stiff resistance from the MILF rebels who were entrenched in fortified connecting bunkers. As such, 1MBDE was redeployed to Balabagan, Lanao del Sur to augment the beleaguered 3MBDE for the final clearing operations of Narciso Ramos Highway, resulting into the capture of Camp Sarmiento and Camp Bushra. The Marines scored 30 enemy body counts and apprehended 3 others. The operating units also recovered important enemy documents; 11 rocket propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, 36 rounds of ammunition, 1 M203 grenade launchers (GL), 11 M16 rifles, 1 garand rifle, 1 M79 GL with 3 live ammo, 1 round HE 81 MM mortar, 1 round illumination, 2 landmines, assorted ammunitions, VHF antenna with cable and voluminous documents. The highway was finally reopened to commuters while the Marines maintained strategic security detachment to deter any further MILF atrocities in the area.

Camp Abubakar, the biggest MILF Camp, finally fell on July 10, 2000. This was the result of continuous military operations spearheaded by 1st and 3rd Marine Brigades in Central Mindanao.

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MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN CENTRAL MINDANAO
LIBERATION OF KAUSWAGAN
On March 16,2000, elements of the 1st Marine Brigade under the helm of BGEN EMMANUEL TEODOSIO AFP arrived at Cagayan de Oro City on board two (2) LST's. Fresh from Palawan, the Marines of this unit were bound to secure the coastal areas of Lanao del Sur.

Unknowingly, while the welcome ceremonies filled the festive atmosphere at Cagayan de Oro City, 300 heavily armed Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) mujaheedin fighters of the 303rd Brigade, BIAF stormed the municipality of Kauswagan in Lanao del Norte. The rebels took hostage about 400 civilians residents, occupied the town hall, and set up defensive positions along the way that cut off the national highway from all traffic.

These dreadful developments prompted the 1st Marine Brigade to retake Kauswagan "before sundown". In a classic lightning movement, the Marines motored from Cagayan de Oro to Iligan, then maneuvered via a mechanized-infantry assault to Kauswagan. By mid-afternoon, the first encounter between the Marines of MBLT-4 under MAJ ASSIDAO PN(M) and the MILF ensued. This sparked the bloody and decisive Positional War that eventually dragged on for five months.

Meanwhile, as the firefight raged in Kauswagan, reinforcing elements of MBLT-1 with its armor assets linked up with MBLT-4, MILF rebels lay siege on the town hall and employed snipers to repel the attacking Marines. Under the hail of gunfire, a platoon of Marines dauntlessly breached through the enemy lines and caught up with the hostages. One by one, the hostages were plucked out of harm's way and were led to safety. By 1900H, as darkness embraced the scared municipality, Kauswagan was completely liberated from the MILF rebels without a single civilian casualty. The Marines have landed.

Backed by a column of V-300 and V-150 Armored Personnel Carriers, elements of MBLT-1 led by LTCOL QUERUBIN PN(M) with his EX-O MAJ OCSAN PN(M), trudged their way towards Camp John Mack, headquarters of 303rd Brigade of MILF. The Marines immediately met stiff resistance. The fierce encounter lasted overnight and soon enough, elements of MBLT-4 reinforced MBLT-1, taking on reverse roles. Artillery fires from the 18th Marine Company and close air support from MG-520 helicopter gunships were called in. This combined arms assault eventually crushed the rebels' stronghold with devastating effect that led to its successful seizure. The first MILF camp in this campaign had fallen.

By sunrise, Marines were ready again to pursue the MILF terrorist up to Camp Bilal in the Municipality of Munai.

Maintaining the momentum of the offensive, the 1st Marine Brigade, conducted scouring operations towards the Brgys. Of Delabayan and Tambo, all of Munai. The Marines continued to face heavy resistance along the 10-kilometer treacherous corridor. By this time, the enemy had improved their defenses by constructing kilometer-long reinforced trenches positioned along ridges of critical approaches. Poised to defend their positions from the pursuing Marines, the mujaheedin fighters stubbornly held their ground, resulting in a series of savage firefights heavy losses and casualties. On April 03, 2000, force recon Marines with MBLT's 1 and 4 engaged the enemy in a fierce close quarter battle that eventually force the latter's complete withdrawal from the area. After seven (7) solid days of combat, Munai declared liberated by the Chief of Staff, AFP. The raising of the Philippine flag highlighted the triumphant victory.

Before they even had time to savor their victory, the 1st Marine Brigade was immediately pulled out and committed by 4ID as shock troops to reinforce the 402nd Brigade of the Philippine Army in Baloi, Lanao del Norte. Once again, the MILF's headstrong resistance along the 45-meter long Baloi bridge hauled up operating Army troopers in the area. While the brigade concentrated its forces to attack Apo Hill, a critical terrain in the vicinity, Force Recon Marine snipers and wheeled 106MM recoilless rifles grappled head-on with the enemy at the bridge. In two day's time, Baloi was cleared and Apo Hill, the MILF relay station for the entire Lanao Province, had fallen to the Marines. Subsequently, the maneuvering elements of the 1st Marine battalion led by MAJ BALUTAN PN(M) spearheaded the assault at Brgy Pak-pangkat and Balut Island, which eventually led to the campaign's first clash ever to erupt in Lanao del Sur. The spill-over of the conflict thus became imminent.

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BREACHING THE BLOODIEST HIGHWAY
The battle of Narciso Ramos Highway outshined all offensives in the annals of the AFP's recent history. It was perhaps the fiercest of all the military operations launched in this campaign. The sheer number of casualties on both the enemy and the government side, and the volume of recovered firearms, speak for it.

The treacherous highway links the Lanao and Maguindanao Provinces and meets up to Brgy Langkong, the "Arterial Gateway to Camp Abubakar". Controlled by the MILF for years, extortion activities flourished in this place. By April 27,2000, preparations were up to clear the whole stretch.

The concept of maneuver adopted a "Double - Spearhead Assault" coming from both ends of the stretch. Emanating from 6th ID area, the 3rd Marine Brigade under BGEN BUENAVENTURA AFP, pushed their way towards the provincial boarder, while the 1st Marine Brigade from the 4ID area breached through the rear in order to crush the enemy from two fronts.. For three long weeks, the Marines ferociously fought running gun battles, employing mechanized-infantry assaults coupled with special operations.

From the 1st Marine Brigade's side, MBLT-4 led the frontal onslaught along the highway while MBLTs 1 and 10 assaulted Mt Cabugao, the critical terrain that overlooked the stretch. Meanwhile from the 3rd Marine Brigade's side, the operating force consisted of four Marine Battalions. Scout snipers were called in, thus inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy with extreme lethality. Consequently, the 2nd Marine Brigade under COL MIRANDA PN(M)(GSC), braced up for the escalation of terroristic activities in the cities and key installations.

On the first day of the operations, an inexorable resistance in the vicinity of Brgy. Igabay immediately met the 4th Marine Battalion. At about the same time, the two Marine battalions tasked to assault Mt. Cabugao were heavily engaged. Apparently, the MILF held their ground, possibly expecting a half-hearted attempt to retake their positions. But the Marines of the 1st Marine Brigade were determined to assert their push, fighting fierce uphill battles that forced them to fight intensely.

At the highway, the encounter raged with fury as RPGs, B-40 rockets, mortar barrages and heavy machinegun fires raked the positions of MBLT-4 and elements of 73rd Light Armor Company. For the next eight hours, the encounter to retake the highway was done. By sunset the headquarters of the 4th Brigade National Guard Division MILF-BIAF fell. The clash left fifty-two casualties on the enemy side including the MILF 4th NGD brigade commander, and a cache of high-powered firearms captured. As daylight broke, the Marines discovered the sprawling abandoned fortified trenches of the MILF and the cache of weapons that were left behind.

Meanwhile, at Mt Cabugao, the Marines fought ferociously, knowing that the progress of their movement at the hill would dictate the tempo of the operations at the highway proper. As the enemy cunningly established layers of fortified bunkers and trenches along its slopes and ridges, the effort to assault Mt. Cabugao became a bloody ordeal and challenge to the troops. Undaunted by the seemingly insurmountable barriers, the 1st and 10th Marine Battalions fought with unrelenting resolve, taking down the enemy's fighting positions and eventually securing the flanks of MBLT-4 in a classic team-effort maneuver.

The Marines in full force continued to barrel-through all the defense positions of the MILF, taking down major and satellite camps while crossing two provinces. By this time, feats of gallantry filled the stories from the frontlines. The sacrifices have been made, lives have been offered, the blood mixed with soil, as the Marines pushed the enemy to the edge.

From the 3rd Marine Brigade arena, MBLTs 2, 6 and 9 with the Force Recon Marines spearheaded the movement from Matanog, Maguindanao. Initially, the objective of the 3rd Marine Brigade was to clear the highway in Matanog of the rebels encamped along both sides of the road vis-à-vis the government forces, before the main effort, the Army's 603rd Brigade and the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion, could push through, MBLT2 was tasked to seize Hill 326 from the enemy, while MBLT9 was tasked to seize two enemy strongholds along the highway.

The Matanog enemy "blocking force" was heavily fortified and stubbornly defended as it was an outer skirt defense perimeter of Camp Abubakre Al Siddique, the main camp of the MILF. The stretch of NRH in Matanog up to the last Marine detachment in Sitio Teba of Brgy Sappad was entrenched with enemy concrete bunkers from both sides and up to the front of the farthest military detachments facing north. Apparently, the MILF defensive positions took an inverted "U" shape enveloping the highway's contour and the moving Marines.

On D-day 29 April 2000, MBLT9 fired the first salvo-a staccato of automatic fire. Hell broke loose, as continuous exchange of fires became a daily routine. The war in Matanog, Maguindanao had begun.

By next day, the maneuvering Marines met heavy resistance from the mujaheedin fighters occupying fortified trenches and bunkers under the 201st Bde MILF-BIAF and the Internal Defense Command, BIAF. The rolling terrain in the area made it impassable to available armored assets. As a dire consequence, the assaulting Marines roughly consisting of two rifle companies had no choice but to move - by foot.

Stunned by the sudden change of momentum in favor of the MILF rebels, the Marines, with their unrelenting grit and determination, undauntedly held their position for seven grueling hours. By then, MAJ GENORING, the battalion commander of MBLT9, called for an indirect fire and close air support in order to relieve the mounting pressure from the onslaught.

Meanwhile, MBLT2 crept undetected towards the enemy stronghold and relay station at Hill 326 and in spite of the stiff resistance, successfully captured the same from the MILF. MAJ GUERRERO PN(M) then led the maneuver elements of MBLT2 to reinforce MBLT9. One by one, enemy held fighting - positions to include the Ibrahim Memorial Training Center of the BIAF at Brgy Sapad, were overrun by the Marines.

Soon enough, Matanog was back to government control. The once impregnable defense lines flouted by the MILF fell to the Marines. The rebels turned their backs in shameful disbelief.

By then, the 1st Marine Brigade barreled through all defenses of the MILF up to Brgy Langkong, the gateway to Camp Abubakar where the MILF forces had also regrouped and consolidated. Incidentally, it was also at Langkong where "the shortest combat patrol" transpired.. But that's another story. Consequently, after three unrelenting weeks of conflict, the Narciso Ramos Highway was declared cleared and open for public use.

Thereafter, three Medals for Valor (posthumous) were awarded for the legendary heroism displayed by the Marines. Each medal spoke of a courageous heart that fought to the last breath… the essence of being a Marine with a life of selflessness.

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THE FALL OF BUSHRA
Camp Bushra Somiorang was the second largest camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. It is home to Prof. Mimbantas, Vice Chair for Internal Affairs of the MILF and site of the Darul Iman Military Academy. Situated in the forested hinterlands of Lanao del Sur, for years its exact location was kept secret from the outside world.

On May 25, 2000 the 1st Marine Brigade jumped off with one objective in mind: seize Camp Bushra Somiorang and destroy all MILF forces in the area.

The move to take Bushra was a race against time. The camp was seated in a valley, such that the force that first occupies the surrounding high grounds would spell decisive victory for itself. Speed was a critical factor. To outflank the enemy, MBLT-1 led by LTCOL PASIHUL PN(M) darted away and occupied the surrounding hills of the MILF camps. The Marines fought it out at the peaks with the rebels while the rest of the 1st Marine Brigade spearheaded by the MBLT10 led by MAJ ABID PN(M), cunningly took the frontal movement for the final sweeping assault. Days of intensive artillery barrage from the 18th Artillery Company effectively demoralized the mujaheedin fighters. This classic and organized scheme of maneuver caught the MILF by surprise, eventually flushing them out from the whole complex in complete disgrace.

Camp Bushra fell to the Marines on May 29,2000. Its relatively easy capture became a painful stigma to the MILF hierarchy and a significant psychological victory for the government. By then, the Marines were in exceedingly high spirits. The war continued.

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THE SEIGE OF SARMIENTO
By the 25th of May, the 3rd Marine Brigade was tasked to clear the vicinity of Bgy. Langkong crossing towards Camp Darul Aman, Sarmiento, Matanog. Here, resistance along the road was a daily given experience but the Marines kept on their momentum with grim determination amidst enemy machine-gun and sniper fires.

MBLT-9 took the road leading to Sarmiento while MBLT-2 maneuvered to higher grounds to secure the flanks. Simultaneously, these two battalions attacked the hasty defense of BIAF. Braving the layers of landmines along their path, they efficiently outmaneuvered the enemy. In the heat of battle, the enemy felt the edge of the Marine sword.

Camp Sarmiento was finally seized from the rebels on June 01, 2000. Overran by the Marines were the residence and headquarters of the MILF Vice Chief for Military Affairs and Chief of Staff, BIAF Al Haj Murad along with the other sensitive offices of the MILF.

Like a wild boar, Camp Sarmiento proved to be more tedious to tame rather than to capture. In June 07, MBLT-2 heeded the call for reinforcements by the beleaguered army troopers in Camp Rajamuda. This practically left MBLT-9 alone to defend the once formidable headquarters of the Bangsa Moro Islamic Armed Forces.

For 37 days, the Marines fought the rage of MILF fighters to recapture Camp Sarmiento. Everyday, barrages of mortar fires and sporadic bursts of cal.50 heavy machineguns accosted the Marines. Like in Matanog, the enemy had once again surrounded the Marines in a "U" shape manner. MBLT-9 was undersiege.

Several desperate attempts to retake the camp from the government forces were made by the MILF's National Guard Division. Notwithstanding the havoc wreaked by the rebels, the Marines held on their ground and gave grim counter-fires. Soon, Marines from MBLT-6 and 7 arrived to tighten the defenses and repulsing the rebels counter attack.

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CRUSHING OF ABUBAKAR
Camp Abubakre Al-Siddique, the main camp of the MILF is also home to Salamat Hashim, founder and top leader of the MILF. It is also the site of the Bedis Military Academy and Headquarters BIAF-MILF. Notoriously known as the venue of public brutal executions perpetrated by the MILF, Abubakar has been the pride of the rebels who have repeatedly manifested their final stand to "defend it at all cost".

On 06 July 2000, the word got around that Abubakar was to be captured. Marines of the 1st and 3rd Marine Brigade subsequently braced for the final push. The 3rd Marine brigade under 6ID was tasked to clear the Mt. Bitan area while the 1st Marine Brigade was to swoop down at Camp Abubakar's western front. Army units also took their own slice of the pie.

From the combined might of the 17th and 18th Artillery Companies, the 105mm howitzer barrage roared away and provided the fire support as Marines on the ground assaulted.

At this juncture, Marines of MBLT's 2,6,7 and 9 were already heavily engaged in the vicinity of Camp Sarmiento. Among the casualties was MAJ JANDAYAN PN(M), the newly installed Battalion Commander of MBLT-2 who, despite being wounded, continued to lead his troops in the front. Since this area was the main route leading to the camp, defense lines were more closely packed and fortified. Landmines and heavy machinegun emplacements lined up the ridges of Mt Bitan thus restricting the maneuver and progress altogether. Enemy snipers zeroed in on the advancing Marines but their momentum kept on the assault. Meanwhile, elements of the 1st Marine Brigade with MBLTs 1,4 and 10 maneuvered westward and teamed up against the mujaheedin fighters who were trying to put up their last-ditch stand.

July 07, the Marines had successfully breached through the so-called "Stainless Islamic Gate" defense line of Camp Abubakar. Despite the heavy resistance put up by stay behind forces of the MILF, victory for the AFP was inevitable as the rebels' will to fight eroded.

By 08 July 2000, Camp Abubakre Al-Siddique was seized and occupied. In complete disgrace, the MILF hierarchy made a desperate call for "Jihad". The Marines marched on.

On 15 September 2000, the Marines participated in the implementation of the SOUTHCOM OPPORD Code Name "Final Option" in conducting military operations in order to rescue the twenty-one (21) foreign and Filipino hostages abducted by the ASG from Sipadan island resort in Malaysia. After two months of continuous operation resulted to the successful rescue of the hostages from their captors and destruction of ASG core organization. After completion of the "Final Option" the Marines were sent back to Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao area.

On 07 November 2000, the Marines celebrated the 50th Golden Anniversary. The celebration was highlighted by various activities; CIVAC in Central Mindanao that earned the admiration and respect from the civilian populace in the locality to the Marines and in the AFP in general. Publication of commemorative stamps, Coffee Table Book "Cutting Edge" and the Cite Mar 6. The cake cutting ceremony was highlighted by the presence of his Excellency President Joseph E Estrada as Guest of Honor and Speaker.

Despite of the tactical victories as well as strategic advantage of the AFP gained from the successful results in the military campaign in Central Mindanao, the MILF remnants with their "jihad" pronouncement still posed as a major threat against government troops in the region. Since the fall of the MILF strongholds and major camps, the rebels have resorted to ambuscades, harassments and other forms of guerilla tactics, which showed that they are still determined to create instability and terror in the area. In order to counter this, the 2nd Marine Battalion had undertaken continuous effort by being proactive through the conduct of combat clearing operations such as the implementation of 6ID Campaign Plan "MAALAB" and 3MBDE Oplan "Galugad". Likewise the 2nd Marine Battalion also executed its OPLAN "KATAPAT", "SAGASA", LAKBAY DAGAT and PAGBABALIK SAGASA, to properly addressed the threat of the rebels still present in AOR. During the conduct of OPLAN Sagasa from 28 December 2000 to 03 January 2001, the 2nd Marine Battalion encountered undetermined number of MILF rebels at vicinity Barangay Bualan, Barira, Maguindanao which inflicted six (6) rebels killed (body count) and the recovery of assorted high power firearms. As a result of continuous military operations to completely neutralized the MILF threats, the activities as well as the presence of armed sightings have been greatly minimized. Likewise, the rebels have abandoned their sanctuaries in the area.

In April 2001, the 2nd Marine Brigade together with the 2nd, 5th Marine Battalion and 63rd Marine Force Reconnaissance Company was deployed in Sulu to augment government troops in confronting the kidnapping problems brought about by the Abu Sayyaf Group. The immediate pull-out of the Marines worries Cotabato City residents. Businessmen and some of them victims of past kidnappings, said they are worried about the resurgence of the kidnapping for ransom now the Marines are gone. Upon arrival at Sulu, the Marines was placed under Task Force Comet, to rescue American hostage Jeffrey Schilling from his captors. After a couple of days, on 12 April 2001, Jeffrey Schilling was rescued by the elements of 2nd Marine Brigade following a brief encounter with the band of Abu Sayyaf men in Luuk, Sulu after almost eight months of captivity. Schilling took time in thanking COL RENATO MIRANDA PN(M)(MNSA), CO, 2MBDE and 1LT CUSTODIO PN(M) and his men in rescuing him in the outskirt of Barangay Bato-Bato, Luuk town.

The worsening security situation in nearby Tawi-Tawi province paved the way for the redeployment of 2MBDE in the province from Sulu. The deployment of the battalions under 2MBDE to the islands of Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi, Turtle islands, Sitangkai, Simunol, South Ubian, Tandubas, Sibuto, Bongao and Panglima Sugala.

On 12 May 2001, the Corps was deputized by the Comelec to safeguard ballot boxes to insure credible, honest, orderly and peaceful senatorial and local election. The Marines performed its task as vanguards of the people exercising their right of suffrage even as far as remote areas of their area of responsibility. Marine troops also strictly implemented security measures at the Philippine International Convention Center where the Commission on Elections is conducting the canvassing and tabulation of votes for the senatorial and party-list polls.

The kidnapping incidents that transpired on the early morning of 27 May 2001 at Dos Palmas Beach Resort, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan was a big blow to the tranquil reputation of said province. Said incident was perpetrated by the Basilan based Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) who took twenty (20) hostages composed of three (3) American nationals and fourteen (14) Filipino guest and three (3) resort workers. As a reaction, one (1) company of 6th Marine Battalion was airlifted to Palawan Province and became part of Task Force PEACOCK of the WESCOM. Its mission was to crack down the perpetrators in places they might have sought refuge mainly in Southern Palawan. On 01 June 2001, another one (1) company of 6th Marine Battalion was deployed in Basilan to augment government troops in the conduct of pursuit operations against the ASG who perpetrated the Dos Palmas kidnapping and the hostage drama in Lamitan, Basilan. Worsening situation of the kidnapping incidents in Lamitan, Basilan, more Marine troops were deployed in the province to augment government troops to after the ASG (MBLT1, MBLT3, MBLT5, 62ND and 63rd Marine Force Reconnaissance Company. The 2MBDE was also deployed in the province in order to provide logistical support and admin control of the Marine units in the area. On 10 August 2001, the MBLT5 and 63rd Marine Force Reconnaissance Company encountered about 90 heavily armed ASG at Sitio Balawain, Brgy. Lumbang, Isabela. Seven (7) ASG fighters were killed in the said encounter while three others had been seriously wounded. Moreover, three (3) hostages from the Golden Harvest Plantation were successfully rescued.

On 221226H August 2001, elements of 3MC and 23MC, MBLT3 and 62nd Force Recon Company while maneuvering towards the alleged enemy encampment at vicinity Palabulabuan Aso encountered more or less one hundred (100) Abu Sayyaf members. Firefight ensued for almost an hour after which the enemy withdrew towards southern portion of the encounter site bringing along with them their undetermined number of killed and wounded comrades which resulted of about seven (7) killed including that of Imam Hapilon and Mukhtar Mingkong who were left behind at the encounter site. Also on 260530H August 2001, 23MC, MBLT3 encountered more or less fifty (50) ASG members, firefight ensued and lasted for twenty five (25) minutes wherein nineteen (19) ASG member were killed and were buried in a mass grave.

As to this date, the Marines is still trekking in the rugged terrain of Basilan, searching for the Abu Sayyaf with full of hope and strong determination to accomplish their given mission.

The 1st Marine Brigade and OPCON Marine units were deployed in Lanao del Sur while 3rd Marine Marine Brigade and OPCON Marine units were deployed in Maguindanao securing the stretch of Narciso Ramos Highway for the safety of all commuters passing through the highway. Wherever the Marines are assigned the difference become obvious.

As we moved into the coming years, it is but fitting to reflect on the remarkable achievements and contributions made by those generations of Marines to save the courage and honor that bind us all.

back


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Hello, this is my first post. Just wanted to share a pic from my first visit to Pag-Asa. I was with Gen Senga's party that visited lJune last year.

As you can see, we took the PAF's C-130. We had a rough landing because the strip was too short.

http://photos.friendster.com/photos/53/88/3628835/30490624516513l.jpg

(edit)

^^ nice one. very few people would have the chance to see that part of the country. i have only seen the islands of spratly through pictures and google earth, and it is really part of palawan. (hehehe)

Those pics are so beautiful! :) Sana makapunta ako dyan soon!

For Tourist who were interested in adventure, exotic islands, sea and sands they should visit our Kalayaan Island Group in the South China Sea.


http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s307/jaime_makabayan_2007/Kalayaan.jpg

One of the islands of Kalayaan Islands Group;


You may check this website link :

http://elgu2.ncc.gov.ph/kalayaanpalawan/index.php?cat1=8&cat2=5


-------------------------------------------------------------

Malaysia's claimed Spratly island of Layang- Layang is already a tourist spot
and very much supported by the Malaysian government.

Our government should also support, and spearhead an effor to make our Kalayaan Island Group a tourist spot.

Also perhaps the govt should enticed and give free lots to poor countryman who may want to settle in the islands, or families of retired military personel.

A free 2 times weekly sea transport to and from Kalayaan Islands Group's Pag-asa island to Puerto Princesa. Since our government is always subsidizing foreign junkets of our politicians and govt officials, then it is also okey to subsidize the free back and forth transport ( Pag-Asa - Puerto Princesa) These can be charged as investment for tourism and peopling our south china sea island.

^^ nice one. very few people would have the chance to see that part of the country. i have only seen the islands of spratly through pictures and google earth, and it is really part of palawan. (hehehe)


I have been to many isolated detachments before. But none more lonely than this. Look to the left, dagat. Look to the right, dagat pa rin. An officer assigned there deserves all the loneliness pay he can get.

that lake in coron, i think, is kayangan lake. (not kalayan) what i heard is that that lake is not really for swimming but for sightseeing. was it bec the water is cold, or that mabato and slippery?? i havent been to coron, except to its port. pero port pa lang, maganda na scenery...

Palawan is beautiful! Those pictures of Coron really do show that Palawan is the Philippines' last frontier. Let's keep it that way!

as long as palawan maintains its relative inaccesibility (and the high cost of airfare), it will remain unspoiled.

mind you, ive been inviting friends from manila to visit palawan. so far, none of them have come though all of them want to. and ive been telling them that ill answer for the accomodation!

but i saw many koreans in palawan when i went there last 2005.

nice pic of that C130 plane... kayo po ba un mr. mikelogics?

kita ko po sa google earth merun naka-park na malaking ship malapit sa dulo ng air strip ng pag asa island... eto ata un sinasabi nilang bumara sa coral reefs(?)...

at least may satelite tv na pala sa pag asa... may source po ba ng fresh/drinking water dito? at ang kuryente may oras din siguro... maganda ata mag lagay sila ng wind mills at solar panels dito as source of electricity...

di po ba delikado dito kasi anytime po pwede umatake ang kalaban?... mga pirates at armies ng ibang bansa...

The large ship that you see on google is the Navy LST. It's located at the Navy side of the island. Yes, meron silang satelite TV and Smart cel-site. Solar panels are also installed at the other end.

ayos! almost complete na po pala sa pag-asa... I guess all you need are this (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=69409)... and this (http://www.bmpcoe.org/bestpractices/internal/rayky/rayky_6.html)...

This is what the PRC claim is theirs:

http://www.spratlys.org/maps/1/China-claims-Paracel-Spratly-Islands.gif

And this is the range of Chinese missiles if they were successful in acquiring the Spratlys. Notice Metro Manila and nearly half of the country would be in their range. If that were the case, for Philippine security the capital would probably have to be moved to Cebu city.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/images/bg1255map1.gif

This interesting Us government page lists the dangers of the PRC and its geostrategic stance for the US and Asia-Pacific region:

http://www.uscc.gov/hearings/2003hearings/written_testimonies/031030bios/mengesremarkscontents.htm

that lake in coron, i think, is kayangan lake. (not kalayan) what i heard is that that lake is not really for swimming but for sightseeing. was it bec the water is cold, or that mabato and slippery?? i havent been to coron, except to its port. pero port pa lang, maganda na scenery...

was able to go to kayangan lake 2 years ago.. we swam (w lifevests kasi malalim).. may raft din na pwedeng gamitin to reach the middle.

if you want to commune with nature.. coron is the perfect place to visit. its worth going and i hope to go back.

This is what the PRC claim is theirs:

http://www.spratlys.org/maps/1/China-claims-Paracel-Spratly-Islands.gif

And this is the range of Chinese missiles if they were successful in acquiring the Spratlys. Notice Metro Manila and nearly half of the country would be in their range. If that were the case, for Philippine security the capital would probably have to be moved to Cebu city.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/images/bg1255map1.gif

This interesting Us government page lists the dangers of the PRC and its geo-strategic stance for the US and Asia-Pacific region:

http://www.uscc.gov/hearings/2003hearings/written_testimonies/031030bios/mengesremarkscontents.htm

IMHO opinion we should not used the range of a missile for moving our nation's capital. If the Chinese developed an ICBM with a range up to Hawaii, then should we moved our capital to California in the US mainland ?

PRC will never be successful in getting our Kalayaan Island Group since our claim is based on UN Law of Sea Conference while the Chinese claim is based only on their historical accounts. If a country can claim another country's territories just because of their historical accounts then Mexico can claim back Texas, Nevada, Arizona etc from USA, the Argentina can claim back the Malvinas (Falkland). Also our country can claim back Carolinas and Marianas which was a part of the Spanish government based in Manila.

(Pls note that we don't claim Sabah because of historical account but rather through documents since Sabah's lease was fully documented with copies in Spain and the UK)

If PRC attack our KIG in the South China Sea, then the American government will lose face in Asia, not only because of our ambigous mutual defense treaty with them but to many geopolitical reasons.

But PRC can get the control of our Kalayaan Island Group if our own government leaders commit treachery to their own people by giving ( withdrawing our troops and rewrite our contitution )
or selling our KIG to the neo-colonialist awakened dragon which is PRC.

Perhaps it is time for our government leaders to rethink our defense strategy by having mutual defense treaty also with other countries like Russia, Vietnam, India, and perhaps with Australia.
China is our potential enemy in the near future and we cannot really rely on the US government
since their military response will depend on their priorities and higher geo-political interest and not because of our mutual defense treaty with them which is not even ratified by US Congress.
.


.

yeah, punta kaya palawan. sama ako. (hahaha). theres a lot of place in palawan that i have not seen, especially in the north (e.g. coron and calauit). hopefully this summer, i can get the chance to roam around.

being a local, i belatedly felt the interest in exploring my own province. palawan is different: its not only the biggest province in terms of land area but also, it would take time and a very gruelling ride to get around the island and off to other islands. i estimate that from tip to tip of the province would be like going from bicol to cagayan.

Gatchalian to invest P2B for Palawan hotel-resort project

By Marianne V. Go
The Philippine Star 03/16/2007
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200703160706.htm
Businessman William Gatchalian is planning to invest an initial P2 billion over the next two years to develop Uson Island, Palawan, into a first class hotel- resort.

Gatchalian said the hotel chain, Waterfront Philippines, Inc., which he owns, will develop the 1,200-hectare Uson Island in Palawan into a first class hotel-beach resort with three separate hotels, a golf course and a convention center.

He said the first phase would involve the construction of three separate hotels, each with a capacity of 300 rooms and fronted by white sand beaches.

The masterplan for the development was made by RRPayumo and Partners.

Its total cost is estimated at over P5 billion. Construction of the first phase, Gatchalian said, is scheduled sometime near the end of this year.

Gatchalian added that he has been negotiating for the lease or acquisition of three to five more hotels that are currently closed or experiencing problems.

These include the Grand Boulevard Hotel, Admiral Hotel, Hyatt Hotel, Philippine Village and Puerto Azul.

Gatchalian said he acquired 78 percent ownership of Grand Boulevard Hotel last year by taking over the exposure of some creditor banks in the Panlilio-owned hotel.

However, the Panlilios have been seeking a rehabilitation and filed a case in court blocking the foreclosure of the hotel, Gatchalian said, adding that he won the case in the lower courts as well as in the Court of Appeals.

The case is now with the Supreme Court and Gatchalian expressed optimism that once a ruling is handed down by the High Court, he would be able to finally proceed with the P500-million renovation of Grand Boulevard Hotel.

Gatchalian said he has also been negotiating for several other hotel properties which are experiencing some labor or financial difficulties or have been foreclosed. He said acquiring existing hotels through assumption of their debts is a much quicker and cheaper way than building completely from scratch which takes three to four years.

Gatchalian said he has made an offer to lease Hyatt Hotel. Likewise, he has expressed interest in acquiring the Admiral Hotel which is adjacent to his boutique G Hotel. Gatchalian added that he had inquired about the Philippine Village Hotel which is near the airport.

Gatchalian expressed regret that so many hotel properties are closed especially at a time when tourism is picking up and there is a growing demand for hotel rooms.

Gatchalian said Waterfront has eight existing hotels. Gatchalian said he hopes to have up to 20 hotels under his chain.

i love the beach in Pangulasian Island, El Nido... long stretch of white sand, fantastic views of the neighboring islets, and best of all, it's not crowded :okay:

white sand beach at Pangulasian Island, El Nido
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i37/llaurenversion3/pangulasian2.jpg


http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i37/llaurenversion3/beachfrontpanga.jpg


http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i37/llaurenversion3/pangulasian1.jpg

view of Bacuit Bay from the top of the hill on Pangulasian Island, El Nido
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i37/llaurenversion3/bacuit2.jpg


http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i37/llaurenversion3/bacuitbay1.jpg

:applause: simply fantastic

been to el nido only twice. i would want to come again.

^^ kelan ka nag el nido?

lauren,
very nice photos.... i love to own an island in palawan and create a eco-tourism resort=)

:applause: simply fantastic

been to el nido only twice. i would want to come again.

^^ kelan ka nag el nido?

lauren,
very nice photos.... i love to own an island in palawan and create a eco-tourism resort=)



thanks! i was there before new year 2006... it wasn't always sunny, in fact it drizzled a bit... i think it's one of the best times of the year to be there! it's a beautiful place :okay:

lauren,
where did you stay? i might plan to go to elnode when i visit this year. i heard the maminloc resort is really good....

i would love to go to el nido. but i hate those tiny planes . I wish Boracay would have stayed like that.

lauren,
where did you stay? i might plan to go to elnode when i visit this year. i heard the maminloc resort is really good....


i'd highly recommend it!! :okay: i stayed at Miniloc. rooms are smallish and functional BUT i was quite satisfied with the overall ambiance and cleanliness of the place as well as the services. room package is inclusive of all-you-can-do water related activities and 3 daily buffet meals.

i'd highly recommend it!! :okay: i stayed at Miniloc. rooms are smallish and functional BUT i was quite satisfied with the overall ambiance and cleanliness of the place as well as the services. room package is inclusive of all-you-can-do water related activities and 3 daily buffet meals.

yeah and i've seen a lot of articles about this resort in travel magazines because they are a green resort. and my mom went there and she loved it!

view of Bacuit Bay from the top of the hill on Pangulasian Island, El Nido


http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i37/llaurenversion3/bacuitbay1.jpg

Know what? I made this my wallpaper. It's just magnificent.

view of Bacuit Bay from the top of the hill on Pangulasian Island, El Nido
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i37/llaurenversion3/bacuit2.jpg


ito naman ginawa kong wallpaper
mangongopya tayo noh :lol:

I'm going to Palawan this Holy Week, are you allowed to go sport fishing? Nothing fancy just for fun/recreation.

Thanks.

Know what? I made this my wallpaper. It's just magnificent.

ito naman ginawa kong wallpaper
mangongopya tayo noh :lol:



you'd have to trek up the hill (about 160 meters above sea level) to see that view... the trek up took us about 20/25 minutes and was quite manageable with a pair of havaianas... for an urbanite like me, feel na feel ang LOST then (the tv series) :lol:

I'm going to Palawan this Holy Week, are you allowed to go sport fishing? Nothing fancy just for fun/recreation.

Thanks.


i think resorts such as El Nido do have areas where you can go fishing... and then either cook and eat the fish afterwards or feed it to the fish near the pier

I see, thanks. But I will be in Puerto Princesa, I wonder if they allow fishing along honda bay.

nice photos ate lauren!!! so that's where you had your vacation, kasabay ng finals namin...

nice photos ate lauren!!! so that's where you had your vacation, kasabay ng finals namin...


hende, iba pa yun... i made laquacha to China naman ;)

view of Bacuit Bay from the top of the hill on Pangulasian Island, El Nido
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i37/llaurenversion3/bacuit2.jpg


http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i37/llaurenversion3/bacuitbay1.jpg

^^Ganda, its like from the Movie "The Beach"...even more beautiful cool!

^^ That's what I call paradise! :D

Flickr|Finds
by yougottadance

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/442157587_90f273598e_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/442158976_cbca7fdc44_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/183/442153384_32fc6110bf_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/204/442160307_c147bb009f_b.jpg

Flickr|Finds
by yougottadance

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/190/442159087_1a989829a6.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/209/442150982_61d4488e0f.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/442145081_70832d8029.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/177/442149199_4f532a041d.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/197/442152129_e71d7ab99d.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/195/442143663_499fc0f170.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/202/442150793_91bbe9456c.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/201/442145610_3dbc1be4e5.jpg

Flickr|Finds
by yougottadance

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/203/442154543_a3ce522535.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/207/442144176_fa2263b89d.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/196/442142465_5faf630c7b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/186/442130835_24b995c30d.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/203/442131592_888e0fc338.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/203/442139643_451bb5750b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/188/442138926_400b15c33d.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/201/442136219_f8f54d2b26.jpg

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u157/jibrael_2007/plane.jpg

PAF Jet at Pagasa





http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u157/jibrael_2007/airstrip.jpg

PAF airstrip at Pagasa Island in the Kalayaan Islands Group.





http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u157/jibrael_2007/pagasaairstrip.gif





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http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view_article.php?article_id=57862


By Joel Guinto
INQUIRER.net
Last updated 06:45pm (Mla time) 03/30/2007


PAGASA ISLAND, Kalayaan, Philippines -- The military has released P31 million for the rehabilitation of the air strip here located in the disputed Spratlys chain in the South China Sea, which officials want to develop as a tourist spot.

The amount is enough only for the eastern portion of the air strip and additional funding is needed for the western part, Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said in an interview with reporters here.

"We released funds already for the repair of the runway… The air strip itself needs improvement. We will see how we can source additional funds," said Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

Once he returns to Manila late Friday, Ebdane said he would "find a way" to secure funding for the project.

The rehabilitation of the eastern portion of the air strip will take between four and five months, said Major General Bob Regala of the Air Force Engineering Wing, whom Esperon had tasked to oversee the project.

Rear Admiral Tirso Danga, commander of the Armed Forces Western Command, said some investors have approached him about the idea of developing the island into a diving site for tourists.

"There are proposals from some entrepreneurs to develop resorts here to entice Filipinos [to visit]. [The development] is also part of national patrimony," Danga said.

"We can have a diving resort here, fishing also. You can see the white sand beach is very beautiful," Danga said, adding, "This [island] is ours. It's ours. We might as well develop it."

The reported oil-rich Spratlys are being claimed in whole or in part by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

Edbane and Esperon were here Thursday to turn over a P13-million potable water machine, which the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) had donated.


http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/news/view_article.php?article_id=57862

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http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u157/jibrael_2007/Pag-asaislandexThituisland.jpg

Pagasa is the new name of Thitu island.





http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u157/jibrael_2007/Pag-asaIsland.jpg

Kalayaan Islands Group of the Province of Palawan.





http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u157/jibrael_2007/Pagasa.jpg

Kalayaan Islands Group of the Province of Palawan





http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u157/jibrael_2007/GenSenga27June06.jpg





http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u157/jibrael_2007/spratlymap.jpg





Gen Senga visited Pagasa island on 27 June 2006.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/Image027.jpg
rizal avenue, puerto princesa city. the city's main street at night

http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u157/jibrael_2007/smart_philstar.jpg





http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u157/jibrael_2007/smart_pdi.jpg

pag yumaman ako, bibili talaga ako ng isla dito at gagawin kong panibagong bora

Wow, may deco lamps din pala sila :colgate:

pag yumaman ako, bibili talaga ako ng isla dito at gagawin kong panibagong bora

actually, maliliit ang mga island ng palawan, kaya most resorts here are exclusive and expensive (e.g. amanpulo, dos palmas, club noah and the el nido resorts). kaya palawan resort islands will never become like bora in terms of the crowd, amenities (practically everything available in the city is also in bora), and nightlife). nature-trippers, honeymooners and those who want privacy ang market ng palawan.

pero watch out for the town of san vicente in palawan. THAT is the next boracay in palawan. it has more than TEN(12 or 16) kilometeres of white sand beach and it is NOT developed. soon to rise is the San Vicente Airport. a friend who owned a beach front in that area told me that her family was "forced" (maybe pressured) to sell their one hectare property just last december 2006. and told me the whole stretch is already owned by developers: sy, tan, and our congressman.

^^ I just hope that it won't be crowded like Boracay. :D

^^ They're so brave to do that!!! Kudos to all SMART Heroes!!!

safe po ba ang mga tourista dito kung sakali? baka mamaya bigla umatake ang china at gawin pang POW ang mahuhuli dito hehehe...
kahit pa merung code of conduct o anu pa man "agreement" di natin masasabing hindi gagawa ng kalokohan ang kalaban hehehe...:nono:

may satellite tv na ba dito? sana nga ma-improve ito to become a major tourist destination...:yes:

musta kaya ang paghahanap ng oil at natural gas dito...:|

Wow, ang gaganda ng beaches!!!

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00404.jpg
capitol

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00416.jpg
puerto princesa official logo

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00409.jpg
NCCC Palawan, the largest fully airconditioned mall in palawan
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00408.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00407.jpg
jollibee, rizal ave, pureto princesa (there are two jollibees in the city, and no mcdonalds)

Ang ganda pala ng Palawan Provincial Capitol, any other shots? :cheers:

^^ i have posted it already also in this thread and sa capitol thread. ;)

^^ Pakipost uli. hehe. jk. :D

sta lourdes wharf, puerto princesa city, palawan:
gateway to Honda Bay

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00004.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00006.jpg

sights in Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan:

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00007.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00443.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00444.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00445.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00441.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00440.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00439.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00438.jpg

Dos Palmas:
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00432.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00047.jpg

Dos Palmas, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00424.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00423.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00089.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00068.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00067.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00066.jpg

nice pixies of dos palmas. really a great beach resort. xDDD mga sundalo pa rin ba ang nag seserve? hehe

Berong to invest P1.2B in Palawan

The Berong Nickel Corp. is investing P1.2 billion for a new beneficiated nickel ore production facility in Palawan.

Berong, a unit of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp., is putting up the new plant after it was granted the special mines permit to start full-scale commercial mining of laterite nickel ore in the province.

With the special permit, which is valid for one year and can be extended for another year, Berong can start mining operations while it completes a feasibility report as part of the requirements for a ful-blown commercial Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA).

The Philippine Mining Act of 1995, or RA 7942, allows the government to award exclusive right to a company for mining operations in a specific area, with the state and firm sharing in the proceeds either in kind or value.

The new facility will have the capacity to process 1.47 million metric tons of nickel ore into the higher value beneficiated nickel ore per year.

Other firms producing beneficiated nickel ore in the Philippines are Taganito Mining in Surigao mainland, Hinatuan Mining in Hinatuan Island, also in Surigao, Rio Tuba Mining and the Platinum Group, both in Palawan.

The nickel mining project in Palawan is a joint venture between Atlas, Toledo Mining Corp. and Investika Ltd.

Negotiations are going on for the supply of about 50 percent of the project’s output to the BHP/QNI Townsville, Australia plant for at least four years. Chinese and Japanese firms are also negotiating for a short-term supply deal of up to two years.

--M. V. de Leon

Cool pics, palawan buddy!

sights in Honda Bay, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan:

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00443.jpg



This is just so nice!!! :banana:

^^ when its low tide, the sandbar underneath it will appear....(i think) hehe

PUERTO PRINCESA VOTERS WILL DECIDE ON MAY 14--- if puerto princesa will become a HIGHLY URBANIZED CITY.
personally, i can't believe na highly-urbanized na kami!!!!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Puerto Princesa now a highly-urbanized city

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has converted Puerto Princesa City in Palawan into a highly-urbanized city in consonance with the national government’s policy to support the initiative of local governments to become self-reliant communities and effective partners in attaining national goals.

In his regular weekly press briefing in Malacañang yesterday afternoon, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the President effected the conversion of Puerto Princesa into a highly-urbanized city through Proclamation No. 1264 which she signed on March 26.

According to Ermita, Section 453 of the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 “provides that it shall be the duty of the President of the Philippines to declare a city as highly-urbanized within thirty (30) days after it shall have met the minimum requirements prescribed in Section 452 of the same Code, upon proper application therefore.”

On Jan. 15, 2007, the Sangguniang Panglungsod of Puerto Princesa through its Resolution No. 614-2007 requested the President to declare the city as a highly-urbanized city.

The Office of the President conducted a thorough verification and found out that Puerto Princesa has met the minimum requirements prescribed for a city to be classified as highly-urbanized.

The LGC’s Section 452 states “that cities with a minimum population of two hundred thousand (200,000) inhabitants as certified by the National Statistics Office and with the latest income of at least Fifty Million Pesos (P50,000,000.00) based on 1991 constant prices as certified by the City Treasurer, shall be classified as highly-urbanized cities.”

“Whereas, it is a declared policy of the government to support local governments’ initiative to attain their fullest development as self-reliant communities and make them more effective partners in the attainment of national goals,” the President said in the proclamation.

The proclamation also provides that Puerto Princesa City will legally be declared as a highly-urbanized city only upon ratification through a plebiscite by the qualified voters of the city.

The rules and regulations implementing the LGC of 1991 state the following procedures:

a. Resolution – The interested city shall submit to the Office of the President of the Philippines a resolution of its Sanggunian adopted by a majority of its members in a meeting duly called for the purpose, and approved and endorsed by the city mayor. Said resolution shall be accompanied by a certification as to income and population.

b. Declaration of Conversion – Within thirty (30) days from receipt of such resolution, the President of the Philippines shall, after verifying that the income and population requirements have been met, declare the city as highly-urbanized.

c. Plebiscite – Within one hundred twenty (120) days from the declaration of the President of the Philippines or as specified in the declaration, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) shall conduct a plebiscite in the city proposed to be converted. Such plebiscite shall be preceded by a comprehensive information campaign to be conducted by the Comelec with the assistance of national and local government officials, media, non-government organizations and other interested parties.

released 3/29/2007


http://thenewsvlog.wordpress.com/2007/03/29/puerto-princesa-now-a-highly-urbanized-city/

^^ Congratulations to Puerto Princesa City!!! :)

http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/artman/publish/article_11852.shtml

By Alex Villanueva Jr.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, April 25 (PNA) - A new batch of government soldiers has been deployed to the Spratly Islands as part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) continuous efforts to protect the country’s claim of sovereignty over the disputed area in the South China Sea.

On Monday, some 100 soldiers assigned at the military’s Western Command (Wescom) here, on board a Philippine Navy (PN) vessel, sailed to the Spratly Islands, also known as the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), as part of their routine deployment in the area.

The soldiers, most of them belonging to the PN’s Naval Forces West (Navforwest), will replace the military men who had been deployed in the KIG for three months.

One of them, Navyman Anthony Gadiane, said they would sail for five to seven days before reaching the KIG, which is some 800 kilometers east from this city.

Gadiane will be assigned in the 6.45-hectare Kota Islet along with other Navforwest personnel.

”As a soldier, I am obliged to do my duties and responsibilities and protect our interest as far as Kalayaan Islands in concerned,” said Gadiane, whose wife, Lolita and son, seven-month-old Christian, are residing in Siaton, Negros Oriental.

He said he will take his rest and recreation after his KIG assignment and bring almost P20,000 in hazard pay and some dried fish products to his family after his three-month stint in the area.

Gadiane said majority of the soldiers will be assigned in the 34-hectare Pag-asa Island, the largest island in the Spratlys and lone barangay of Kalayaan town.

Other will occupy Likas, Parola, Lawak, Patag, Panata, Ayungin and Rizal reefs.

Pag-asa Island has the Rancudo Airfield that can accommodate a C-130 cargo plane used both by the military and civilians.

Re-electionist Kalayaan Mayor Rosendo Mantes has promoted the town as an eco-tourism destination and convinced many Filipino businessmen to invest in the area.

Kalayaan only has 245 registered voters for the coming elections.

Through its Kalayaan Discovery Tour, Mantes is also bringing civilians to live in Kalayaan.

Once a month, a PN ship goes to the island to drop supplies of goods.

Recently, Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane and top military officials headed by AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon brought a P13-million water treatment facility to the area to provide soldiers and residents with clean drinking water.

The island also has power generators, weather stations and communication tower built by Smart Telecommunications.

The Spratly Islands, a disputed group of approximately 100 reefs, are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and gas and oil deposits.

To further the claim of the Philippines on the island group, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, on June 11, 1978, formally annexed the Kalayaan Islands by virtue of Presidential Decree No.1596.

Thus was created a distinct and separate municipality known as “Kalayaan” under the political jurisdiction of the Province of Palawan, but under the custody of the Department of National Defense.

China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also claim parts of the Spratlys. (PNA)

Does anyone know the status of the planned new airport at Coron? Last year when I was there a shiny new control tower had appeared (unmanned at the time) since when I read that millions had been been allocated by both government and overseas aid donors for a full upgrade but I cant find any information on progress.

^^ i think you are referring to busuanga airport (located in coron, busuanga island). what i am sure is that the government is prioritizing the development of san vicente airport, also in north palawan. if there is any development in other airports in north palawan, i think it would not be as significant as what they are planning to do with the san vicente airport.

Thanks for that Palawan-buddy.
Granted its not a flawless source and you are in a far better position to be informed but this is what Wikipedia says:
quote:
Busuanga Airport (IATA: USU, ICAO: RPVV) is an airport serving the general area of Busuanga, located in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is also shared with the neighboring municipality of Coron, hence the alternate name Coron Airport.
.......
There are plans for a three-million U.S. dollar expansion of the airport, which will be funded by either the Korean International Cooperation Agency or the Asian Development Bank in cooperation with the Department of Transportation and Communications. Expansion works are set to begin for mid-2007.
end quote
Which pretty well matches up with what I had heard.
But if there are vested influential interests more keen on opening up san Vincete I can quite see that money being diverted... Will be interesting to see.

^^ i have read the proposal about that airport and was personally involved in the initial stage of the project when it was still being proposed to the dilg. that was about Summer 2005.
it was a grant by KOICA that involves minimal development of the airport: land acquisition, extention of airstrip. i cant remember all the details but its really not much development. the airport was not a priority project during those time.

and yes, it is properly known as Busuanga airport.

http://i4.tinypic.com/4ysrx5k.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/chinapla.jpg

The Chinese threat to our Kalayaan Islands Group in the South China Sea.



http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/untitled.jpg



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/25/AR2007052501954.html?hpid=sec-nations


The Washington PostSaturday,
May 26, 2007; Page A13


China is modernizing its military in ways that give it options for launching surprise attacks, potentially on targets far from its borders, the Pentagon said yesterday.

The Chinese are acquiring better missiles, submarines and aircraft and should more fully explain the purpose of their military buildup, the Defense Department said in an annual report to Congress.

The Pentagon said China's short-term focus remains the Taiwan Straits, where the nation continues to position more short-range ballistic missiles. By October, China had increased its force of mobile short-range missiles based in garrisons opposite Taiwan to 900, the report said, an increase of at least 14 percent. In late 2005, between 710 and 790 missiles were based there, according to the Pentagon.

But more broadly, the Defense Department concluded, Beijing is pursuing a strategy that appears designed to give it a capability to fight wars farther from its shores and to thwart any U.S. advances.

"The People's Liberation Army is pursuing comprehensive transformation from a mass army designed for protracted wars of attrition on its territory to one capable of fighting and winning short-duration, high-intensity conflicts against high-tech adversaries," the report said.

Referring to a January test in which China shot down one of its own satellites with a missile, the report said the nation's capability "poses dangers to human space flight and puts at risk the assets of all space-faring nations."

New missile units at various locations in China could be used for crises not involving Taiwan, the report said, and advances in the Chinese air force would allow extended air operations over the South China Sea.

A prominent theme in the Pentagon report is a perceived lack of transparency in Chinese military activities and plans. As it has in the past, the Pentagon said China's true defense spending is two to three times the publicly announced defense budget, which this year was put at the equivalent of $45 billion. The Pentagon report said actual defense spending, including from sources other than the defense budget, is $85 billion to $125 billion.

In a section titled "Is China Developing a Preemptive Strategy?" the report cites the People's Liberation Army's acquisition of long-endurance submarines, unmanned combat aircraft, additional precision-guided air-to-ground missiles and long-distance military communications systems.

Chinese military training that focuses on no-notice, long-range airstrikes "could also indicate planning for preemptive military options in advance of regional crises," the report said.

Attempting to capture the essence of China's strategy, the report quoted the former supreme leader Deng Xiaoping's guidance, known as the 24-character maxim, which says in part, "hide our capacities and bide our time; be good at maintaining a low profile."

"It suggests both a short-term desire to play down China's capabilities and avoid confrontation, and a long-term strategy to build up China's power to maximize options for the future," the Pentagon report said.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately return messages yesterday seeking comment. China has reacted angrily to previous Pentagon reports and has insisted that its multibillion-dollar military buildup is defensive.

If we use the logic that the countries closest to the islands should have the strongest claim to it, the Philippines is undoubtedly the rightful claimant, as judging from the maps alone, some of the islands are so close to Palawan. Unfortunately, this is not how international Realpolitik works. Territories invariably end up in the hands of the most powerful nations and China will eventually bully and cajole the smaller countries into submission.

^ True. If you read the provisions of The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, the Philippines indeed has a rightful and legal claim to the Kalayaan Islands of the Spratleys. The thing with territorial claims though, is that the country must be able to assert sovereign rights over these. Anyway, I don't want this thread to become a debate thread again.

If we use the logic that the countries closest to the islands should have the strongest claim to it, the Philippines is undoubtedly the rightful claimant, as judging from the maps alone, some of the islands are so close to Palawan. Unfortunately, this is not how international Realpolitik works. Territories invariably end up in the hands of the most powerful nations and China will eventually bully and cajole the smaller countries into submission.

Pls read the below weblinks to enlightened you on this topic :

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/untitled.jpg


http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_overview_convention.htm


The Convention entered into force in accordance with its article 308 on 16 November 1994, 12 months after the date of deposit of the sixtieth instrument of ratification or accession. Today, it is the globally recognized regime dealing with all matters relating to the law of the sea.

The Convention (full text) comprises 320 articles and nine annexes, governing all aspects of ocean space, such as delimitation, environmental control, marine scientific research, economic and commercial activities, transfer of technology and the settlement of disputes relating to ocean matters.

Some of the key features of the Convention are the following:

* Coastal States exercise sovereignty over their territorial sea which they have the right to establish its breadth up to a limit not to exceed 12 nautical miles; foreign vessels are allowed "innocent passage" through those waters;
* Ships and aircraft of all countries are allowed "transit passage" through straits used for international navigation; States bordering the straits can regulate navigational and other aspects of passage;
* Archipelagic States, made up of a group or groups of closely related islands and interconnecting waters, have sovereignty over a sea area enclosed by straight lines drawn between the outermost points of the islands; the waters between the islands are declared archipelagic waters where States may establish sea lanes and air routes in which all other States enjoy the right of archipelagic passage through such designated sea lanes;
* Coastal States have sovereign rights in a 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with respect to natural resources and certain economic activities, and exercise jurisdiction over marine science research and environmental protection;
* All other States have freedom of navigation and overflight in the EEZ, as well as freedom to lay submarine cables and pipelines;
* Land-locked and geographically disadvantaged States have the right to participate on an equitable basis in exploitation of an appropriate part of the surplus of the living resources of the EEZ's of coastal States of the same region or sub-region; highly migratory species of fish and marine mammals are accorded special protection;
* Coastal States have sovereign rights over the continental shelf (the national area of the seabed) for exploring and exploiting it; the shelf can extend at least 200 nautical miles from the shore, and more under specified circumstances;
* Coastal States share with the international community part of the revenue derived from exploiting resources from any part of their shelf beyond 200 miles;
* The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf shall make recommendations to States on the shelf's outer boundaries when it extends beyond 200 miles;
* All States enjoy the traditional freedoms of navigation, overflight, scientific research and fishing on the high seas; they are obliged to adopt, or cooperate with other States in adopting, measures to manage and conserve living resources;
* The limits of the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of islands are determined in accordance with rules applicable to land territory, but rocks which could not sustain human habitation or economic life of their own would have no economic zone or continental shelf;
* States bordering enclosed or semi-enclosed seas are expected to cooperate in managing living resources, environmental and research policies and activities;
* Land-locked States have the right of access to and from the sea and enjoy freedom of transit through the territory of transit States;
* States are bound to prevent and control marine pollution and are liable for damage caused by violation of their international obligations to combat such pollution;
* All marine scientific research in the EEZ and on the continental shelf is subject to the consent of the coastal State, but in most cases they are obliged to grant consent to other States when the research is to be conducted for peaceful purposes and fulfils specified criteria;
* States are bound to promote the development and transfer of marine technology "on fair and reasonable terms and conditions", with proper regard for all legitimate interests;
* States Parties are obliged to settle by peaceful means their disputes concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention;
* Disputes can be submitted to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea established under the Convention, to the International Court of Justice, or to arbitration. Conciliation is also available and, in certain circumstances, submission to it would be compulsory. The Tribunal has exclusive jurisdiction over deep seabed mining disputes.

Pls read further on the below web links ;

http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_overview_convention.htm


http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_historical_perspective.htm

http://www.dfa.ie/home/index.aspx?id=365

http://www.iht.com/articles/1994/10/18/nubow.php

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/herald.jpg

South China Sea: Washington Needs to Hear About Beijing's Claims

By Philip Bowring International Herald Tribune
Tuesday, October 18, 1994


U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry, now in China, should have one question at the top of his Beijing agenda: What are China's claims regarding the South China Sea? Cozy belief by the United States and some Asian neighbors that "engagement" with China will, by definition, enhance regional security sounds nice, but it is a notion based partly on a yawning information gap.
.
In the emerging world order, the South China Sea is becoming as strategically important as the Mediterranean. Yet no one, and that includes the U.S. government, knows the full nature and extent of China's claims.
.
Whatever its ultimate objectives, China's imprecision on this matter has kept America on the sidelines and deflected the possibility of a common stand by other states against China's more extreme claims. It has also obfuscated the relationship between its claim to the tiny islets and reefs known as the Spratlys, its claims to oil under the sea floor and its claims to the sea itself.
.
Take the most fundamental issue. China long ago issued a map outlining its claim to the sea as "historic waters." A U-shaped area delineated by a dotted line gives it the whole sea up to a line ranging roughly 15 to 200 nautical miles from the coasts of the others.
.
Yet the United States "doesn't believe a claim has been made." That, at least, was the answer of one official expert when asked why the United States has not included China's apparent claims in its extensive catalogue of "extreme" maritime claims.
.
But China has yet to define what it means by "historic waters," which has no basis in the 1982 UN Law of the Sea convention, signed by Beijing.
.
According to one Chinese authority, Pan Shiying, speaking at a recent South China Sea conference in Washington, China does not regard the sea as "internal waters." But what does it claim within that famous line?
.
The issue is crucial. While other nations claim some of the tiny islands and use them as baselines for claims to territorial waters and seabed, China has this additional "historic" claim to the waters at large.
.
China has spelled out its land and territorial water claims. Its national law on the subject goes beyond what is permissible under the Law of the Sea, claiming the right to control passage of warships through its territorial sea and contiguous waters.
.
At least the land claims can be addressed in the same terms as used by other countries. Their application, if not sovereignty itself, can be subjected to the Law of the Sea. But the maritime claim is of a different order.
.
This question could involve yet another country finding itself in conflict with China - Indonesia. Indonesia has no claims to the Spratlys, but the area delineated by the Chinese line includes the huge gas field discovered by Exxon off Indonesia's Natuna Islands. This is one of the largest hydrocarbon finds so far in the South China Sea. It will cost $20 billion to develop.
.
According to Pan Shiying, the line, roughly equidistant between China's Spratly claims and the coasts of the other nations, could be regarded with "a certain flexibility." However, the lack of clarity leaves open the possibility that China will at some point seek to make a claim on Indonesian as well as Malaysian, Philippine and Vietnamese exploitation of oil and gas within the line.
.
China awarded oil rights in a large block that lies off southern Vietnam and near Malaysian waters to Crestone, a U.S. company, on the basis of proximity to one Spratly island.
.
But it has criticized Vietnamese exploitation of a field that lies much closer to Vietnam than to any Spratly, but which is within the Chinese line boundary.
.
The United States, for its part, lacks a policy other than to say that it does not take sides in disputes over sovereignty. It is thus impossible to determine China's long-term intent.
.
Is it to maneuver for position before agreeing to a partition of the sea, linked to joint development of resources? Or is it to play for time, discouraging others, particularly Vietnam, from exploiting oil off their coasts, while building up its naval forces and watching the U.S. presence decline?
.
Through the ASEAN Regional Forum, the countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations have focused attention on the issue. But ASEAN is divided on what to do. Thailand has little direct interest. Some other members do not want to give the impression of ganging up on China, which insists on dealing with the issues bilaterally.
.
Malaysia is trying to engage China in dialogue rather than take a common stand with Vietnam and the Philippines (although it is increasing military contacts with those two). Chances of a joint ASEAN stand might be strengthened if Vietnam joined the group, as it wants to do.
.
Amid all this confusion, America's friends in the region are unclear what role they want the United States to play. They want a continued U.S. presence, to prevent anyone else from establishing hegemony and to deter adventurism. Yet they are equivocal about a direct U.S. role, either because they doubt America's commitment, fear Chinese wrath or harbor resentment against outside powers enforcing local law.
.
Thus, if the U.S. 7th Fleet intends to stay in the South China Sea into the next century, the United States needs clearer objectives. But first the United States will need to press Beijing to clarify its claims. Washington cannot ignore the question. In addition to U.S. commitments to ensure freedom of navigation in the region - in possible conflict with apparent Chinese policies - serious problems could arise from U.S. oil companies drilling in disputed waters.
.
Unless the United States is prepared to ask hard questions about Chinese claims, it cannot answer the central question: What role, if any, does the 7th Fleet have in the South China Sea?

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t218/jibrael_2008/dragon.jpg



http://washingtontimes.com/specialreport/20050626-122138-1088r.htm


Chinese dragon awakens
By Bill Gertz

THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 26, 2005


Part II: Thefts of U.S. technology boost China's weaponry
Part one of two

China is building its military forces faster than U.S. intelligence and military analysts expected, prompting fears that Beijing will attack Taiwan in the next two years, according to Pentagon officials.

U.S. defense and intelligence officials say all the signs point in one troubling direction: Beijing then will be forced to go to war with the United States, which has vowed to defend Taiwan against a Chinese attack.

China's military buildup includes an array of new high-technology weapons, such as warships, submarines, missiles and a maneuverable warhead designed to defeat U.S. missile defenses. Recent intelligence reports also show that China has stepped up military exercises involving amphibious assaults, viewed as another sign that it is preparing for an attack on Taiwan.

"There's a growing consensus that at some point in the mid-to-late '90s, there was a fundamental shift in the sophistication, breadth and re-sorting of Chinese defense planning," said Richard Lawless, a senior China-policy maker in the Pentagon. "And what we're seeing now is a manifestation of that change in the number of new systems that are being deployed, the sophistication of those systems and the interoperability of the systems."

China's economy has been growing at a rate of at least 10 percent for each of the past 10 years, providing the country's military with the needed funds for modernization.

The combination of a vibrant centralized economy, growing military and increasingly fervent nationalism has transformed China into what many defense officials view as a fascist state.

"We may be seeing in China the first true fascist society on the model of Nazi Germany, where you have this incredible resource base in a commercial economy with strong nationalism, which the military was able to reach into and ramp up incredible production," a senior defense official said.

For Pentagon officials, alarm bells have been going off for the past two years as China's military began rapidly building and buying new troop- and weapon-carrying ships and submarines.


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Front Page > Special Report Page

http://washingtontimes.com/specialreport/20050626-122138-1088r_page2.htm

Chinese dragon awakens
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 26, 2005

The release of an official Chinese government report in December called the situation on the Taiwan Strait "grim" and said the country's military could "crush" Taiwan.

Earlier this year, Beijing passed an anti-secession law, a unilateral measure that upset the fragile political status quo across the Taiwan Strait. The law gives Chinese leaders a legal basis they previously did not have to conduct a military attack on Taiwan, U.S. officials said.

The war fears come despite the fact that China is hosting the Olympic Games in 2008 and, therefore, some officials say, would be reluctant to invoke the international condemnation that a military attack on Taiwan would cause.

Army of the future
In the past, some defense specialists insisted a Chinese attack on Taiwan would be a "million-man swim" across the Taiwan Strait because of the country's lack of troop-carrying ships.

"We left the million-man swim behind in about 1998, 1999," the senior Pentagon official said. "And in fact, what people are saying now, whether or not that construct was ever useful, is that it's a moot point, because in just amphibious lift alone, the Chinese are doubling or even quadrupling their capability on an annual basis."

Asked about a possible Chinese attack on Taiwan, the official put it bluntly: "In the '07-'08 time frame, a capability will be there that a year ago we would have said was very, very unlikely. We now assess that as being very likely to be there."

Air Force Gen. Paul V. Hester, head of the Pacific Air Forces, said the U.S. military has been watching China's military buildup but has found it difficult to penetrate Beijing's "veil" of secrecy over it.

While military modernization itself is not a major worry, "what does provide you a pause for interest and concern is the amount of modernization, the kind of modernization and the size of the modernization," he said during a recent breakfast meeting with reporters.

China is building capabilities such as aerial refueling and airborne warning and control aircraft that can be used for regional defense and long-range power projection, Gen. Hester said.

It also is developing a maneuverable re-entry vehicle, or MARV, for its nuclear warheads. The weapon is designed to counter U.S. strategic-missile defenses, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The warhead would be used on China's new DF-31 long-range missiles and its new submarine missile, the JL-2.

Work being done on China's weapons and reconnaissance systems will give its military the capability to reach 1,000 miles into the sea, "which gives them the visibility on the movement of not only our airplanes in the air, but also our forces at sea," Gen. Hester said.

Beijing also has built a new tank for its large armed forces. It is known as the Type 99 and appears similar in design to Germany's Leopard 2 main battle tank. The tank is outfitted with new artillery, anti-aircraft and machine guns, advanced fire-control systems and improved engines.

The country's air power is growing through the purchase of new fighters from Russia, such as Su-30 fighter-bombers, as well as the development of its own fighter jets, such as the J-10.
Gen. Hester compared Chinese warplanes with those of the former Soviet Union, which were less capable than their U.S. counterparts, but still very deadly.
"They have great equipment. The fighters are very technologically advanced, and what we know about them gives us pause for concern against ours," he said.

Missiles also are a worry.
"It is their surface-to-air missiles, their [advanced] SAMs and their surface-to-surface missiles, and the precision, more importantly, of those surface-to-surface missiles that provide, obviously, the ability to pinpoint targets that we might have out in the region, or our friends and allies might have," Gen. Hester said.
The advances give the Chinese military "the ability ... to reach out and touch parts of the United States -- Guam, Hawaii and the mainland of the United States," he said.

To better deal with possible future conflicts in Asia, the Pentagon is modernizing U.S. military facilities on the Western Pacific island of Guam and planning to move more forces there.

The Air Force will regularly rotate Air Expeditionary Force units to Guam and also will station the new long-range unmanned aerial vehicle known as Global Hawk on the island, he said.

It also has stationed B-2 stealth bombers on Guam temporarily and is expected to deploy B-1 bombers there, in addition to the B-52s now deployed there, Gen. Hester said.

Projecting power

China's rulers have adopted what is known as the "two-island chain" strategy of extending control over large areas of the Pacific, covering inner and outer chains of islands stretching from Japan to Indonesia.

"Clearly, they are still influenced by this first and second island chain," the intelligence official said.

The official said China's buildup goes beyond what would be needed to fight a war against Taiwan. The conclusion of this official is that China wants a "blue-water" navy capable of projecting power far beyond the two island chains.

"If you look at the technical capabilities of the weapons platforms that they're fielding, the sea-keeping capabilities, the size, sensors and weapons fit, this capability transcends the baseline that is required to deal with a Taiwan situation militarily," the intelligence official said.

"So they are positioned then, if [Taiwan is] resolved one way or the other, to really become a regional military power as well."

The dispatch of a Han-class submarine late last year to waters near Guam, Taiwan and Japan was an indication of the Chinese military's drive to expand its oceangoing capabilities, the officials said. The submarine surfaced in Japanese waters, triggering an emergency deployment of Japan's naval forces.

Beijing later issued an apology for the incursion, but the political damage was done. Within months, Japan began adopting a tougher political posture toward China in its defense policies and public statements. A recent Japanese government defense report called China a strategic national security concern. It was the first time China was named specifically in a Japanese defense report.

Energy supply a factor

For China, Taiwan is not the only issue behind the buildup of military forces. Beijing also is facing a major energy shortage that, according to one Pentagon study, could lead it to use military force to seize territory with oil and gas resources.

The report produced for the Office of Net Assessment, which conducts assessments of future threats, was made public in January and warned that China's need for oil, gas and other energy resources is driving the country toward becoming an expansionist power.

China "is looking not only to build a blue-water navy to control the sea lanes [from the Middle East], but also to develop undersea mines and missile capabilities to deter the potential disruption of its energy supplies from potential threats, including the U.S. Navy, especially in the case of a conflict with Taiwan," the report said.

The report said China believes the United States already controls the sea routes from the oil-rich Persian Gulf through the Malacca Strait. Chinese President Hu Jintao has called this strategic vulnerability to disrupted energy supplies Beijing's "Malacca Dilemma."

To prevent any disruption, China has adopted a "string of pearls" strategy that calls for both offensive and defensive measures stretching along the oil-shipment sea lanes from China's coast to the Middle East.

The "pearls" include the Chinese-financed seaport being built at Gwadar, on the coast of western Pakistan, and commercial and military efforts to establish bases or diplomatic ties in Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and disputed islands in the South China Sea. The report stated that China's ability to use these pearls for a "credible" military action is not certain.
Pentagon intelligence officials, however, say the rapid Chinese naval buildup includes the capability to project power to these sea lanes in the future.

"They are not doing a lot of surface patrols or any other kind of security evolutions that far afield," the intelligence official said. "There's no evidence of [Chinese military basing there] yet, but we do need to keep an eye toward that expansion."

The report also highlighted the vulnerability of China's oil and gas infrastructure to a crippling U.S. attack.

"The U.S. military could severely cripple Chinese resistance [during a conflict over Taiwan] by blocking its energy supply, whereas the [People's Liberation Army navy] poses little threat to United States' energy security," it said.

China views the United States as "a potential threat because of its military superiority, its willingness to disrupt China's energy imports, its perceived encirclement of China and its disposition toward manipulating international politics," the report said.

'Mercantilist measures'

The report stated that China will resort "to extreme, offensive and mercantilist measures when other strategies fail, to mitigate its vulnerabilities, such as seizing control of energy resources in neighboring states."

U.S. officials have said two likely targets for China are the Russian Far East, which has vast oil and gas deposits, and Southeast Asia, which also has oil and gas resources.

Michael Pillsbury, a former Pentagon official and specialist on China's military, said the internal U.S. government debate on the issue and excessive Chinese secrecy about its military buildup "has cost us 10 years to figure out what to do"

"Everybody is starting to acknowledge the hard facts," Mr. Pillsbury said. "The China military buildup has been accelerating since 1999. As the buildup has gotten worse, China is trying hard to mask it."

Richard Fisher, vice president of the International Assessment and Strategy Center, said that in 10 years, the Chinese army has shifted from a defensive force to an advanced military soon capable of operations ranging from space warfare to global non-nuclear cruise-missile strikes.

"Let's all wake up. The post-Cold War peace is over," Mr. Fisher said. "We are now in an arms race with a new superpower whose goal is to contain and overtake the United States."

Part II: Thefts of U.S. technology boost China's weaponry


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If we use the logic that the countries closest to the islands should have the strongest claim to it, the Philippines is undoubtedly the rightful claimant, as judging from the maps alone, some of the islands are so close to Palawan. Unfortunately, this is not how international Realpolitik works. Territories invariably end up in the hands of the most powerful nations and China will eventually bully and cajole the smaller countries into submission.

If one cannot defend a certain territory, then one does not deserve it... pero syempre Pinoy tayo kaya galit tayo sa China; pero tingin ko China feels the same against the Philippines when it comes to the issue of Spratlys...
Question is: what can we do if they take a part of our territory? It is clear that their forces are superior than ours --- wala kasi tayong inatupag kundi internal bickering and insurgency --- while most countries who are involved with external conflict are more patriotic and well armed... take the instance of India & Pakistan... or Israel & the Arab world...

I remember during the Ramos regime when Mischief reef was famous (because of the Chinese built structures), medyo naging patriotic ang mga Pinoy... sana naman hindi na natin kailangan makipag-gyera sa mga katabi nating bansa bago mabuhay ang pagka-makabayan natin... Magkaisa na sana ang Pinoy...

@Lucentino, how can the Philippines take on China if it cannot even deal with a small group of bandits/thugs/pirates aka the Abu Sayaaf? However, I'm not sure more patriotism is the answer. You can whip up the populace into a frenzy of patriotic fervour but without the necessary arms and money it will all be useless. Germans were extremely patriotic during the Nazi era but this could not prevent their military defeat.

^^ Well for starters, becoming patriotic and working together could improve the economy, and thus generate money... and some money could go to Defense expenditures... :)

Japan is not allowed to go to war by their constitution, but they have modern equipment to defend themselves --- money from their healthy economy, spent wisely...

My guess is that the Nazis were defeated because they could not take on more adversaries... got disoriented and was not able to defend the vast territories they had grabbed (from Russia to France)...

I am not sure if our government at any point in our lifetime would be able to solve insurgencies and bandits, but who knows, patriotism and nationalism could be an answer...

I also think that if China did not sign on the Code of Conduct, it could have grabbed more islands/rocks... and left us as mere observers...:ohno:

Cuyo Island

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http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1345/544161763_045fecf9d3_o.jpg

by Driftwud (http://flickr.com/photos/24838625@N00/)

Puerto Princesa is RP’s
newest highly urbanized city (http://businessmirror.com.ph/07162007/nation04.html)


PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—This city known as the “Environment Capital” of the Philippines for its innovative and effective environment conservation, protection and development programs is the country’s newest and 31st Highly Urbanized City (HUC) after a plebiscite conducted by the Commission on Elections on July 9.

A total of 21,896 out 34,797 voters approved the city’s conversion from component to highly urbanized city in the plebiscite.

On March 26, President Arroyo issued Presidential Declaration 1264 coverting Puerto Princesa City from component to highly urbanized city. The city was given 90 days to affirm the presidential declaration in a plebiscite.

Puerto Princesa City is the country’s 31st highly urbanized city.

The Comelec and the League of Cities of the Philippines said it is also the first component city to successfully hurdle a plebiscite for conversion to highly urbanized city. Two other component cities—Cabanatuan and Tarlac, both lost in their plebiscites of 1997 and 2006, respectively.

Mayor Edward Hagedorn, who scored a landslide win in his reelection bid in the May elections, thanked his constituents for the overwhelming support they continue to give his administration.

Hagedorn said the conversion of Puerto Princesa City into a highly urbanized city is solid proof of the tremendous growth and development of the city that the people of Puerto Princesa and its elective officials have jointly achieved since he first assumed office in 1992.

The Comelec noted that the Puerto Princesa City plebiscite with a 31.25-percent voter turnout is the highest ever in terms of participation compared to other plebiscites conducted in the country.

A highly urbanized city should have a minimum population of 200,000, as certified by the National Statistics Office (NSO), and with a latest annual income of at least P50 million based on 1991 constant prices as certified by the city treasurer.

A city’s conversion to HUC status makes it independent of the province from which it had been a component of. In addition, qualified voters of HUCs are excluded from voting for elective provincial officials.

praning lang US coz china is beating them in almost all fields....china is taking over the world and US is envious that the influence the unilaterally has is deminishing....and china is filling the gap.....for the philippines it should be forward looking and start the modernization of its armed forces...

praning lang US coz china is beating them in almost all fields....china is taking over the world and US is envious that the influence the unilaterally has is deminishing....and china is filling the gap.....for the philippines it should be forward looking and start the modernization of its armed forces...


man, its up to you if you want to live in a world ruled by communists.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a89/overtureph/orchid.jpg

THIS RARE orchid species is quite common at the top of Mt. Mantalingahan in Palawan province. It was discovered during a scientific expedition organized by Conservation International Philippines. L.C.CO/CONTRIBUTOR


Scientists discover new species in Palawan

By Redempto Anda
Inquirer
Last updated 05:41am (Mla time) 08/03/2007

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- Scientists on Thursday announced the discovery of a mountain shrew unknown to science and at least three new species of plants, which they found in the upper ranges of Mt. Mantalingahan in southern Palawan province.

Filipino mammal specialist Danny Balete said the mountain shrew had a soft and downy fur with long and almost sharp snout and small eyes.

Balete said the shrew was the second species of its kind found only in Palawan.

Leonard Co, one of the country’s top botanists who led a five-week scientific expedition to Mt. Mantalingahan in June, described one of the plants as an orchid “having a beautiful set of white flowers with golden lip petals.”

“The orchid belongs to the genus Coelogyne and was found in the stunted summit ridge vegetation at around 1,700 masl (meters above sea level) elevation. It is also in the heath-like summit vegetation where an undescribed terrestrial species of Medinilla was discovered,” Co said.

He added botanists were confirming a possible new species of Medinilla from among the specimens collected during the expedition.

“The showy flowers of the Medinilla have always attracted the attention of botanical collectors, resulting in the relative rareness of new species being added to the genus in recent times. There are at least 80 species of Medinillas known to occur in the Philippines, of which 76 are endemic to the country,” Co said.

Another record in Palawan is the discovery of a ground orchid belonging to the genus Acanthephippium.

This ground orchid was recorded at 800 meters above sea level and may represent the fourth species of the genus in the Philippines.

The scientists also found the rare soft-furred mountain rat -- the Palawanomys furvus which is known to exist only on Mt. Mantalingahan.

Dr. Lawrence Heaney, a biologist from the Chicago Field Museum and a longtime scientific researcher in the Philippines, said the animal “has not been seen since it was first discovered in 1962.”

Heaney also noted the discovery of a tiny bird that was previously known to exist only in Borneo.

The bird Erythrura prasina is a very colorful pin-tail parrot finch that lives in the bamboo-dominated regions of Borneo and mainland Southeast Asia.

“Its presence on Palawan also coincided with the distribution of bamboos -- a dominant feature of the Mantalingahan vegetation at around 700 masl and higher,” Heaney said.

The pouch bat caught at the same site was another poorly known species and one previously unrecorded in the Palawan group of islands.

“The pouch bat, Saccolaimus saccolaimus, is widespread in Asia, but I have seen them only once in the 26 years I have worked in the Philippines,” Heaney added.

“Prior to this survey our knowledge of the Palawan terrestrial biodiversity was limited mainly to information about species in the lowlands. Little is known of what the mountains on this island hold beyond 1,300-meter elevation,” Balete said.

Romeo Trono, country director of Conservation International Philippines which organized the expedition, said the findings confirmed the biological importance of Mt. Mantalingahan Range.

Conservation International is working with local government units and communities to have the area declared as a protected landscape.

“These noteworthy discoveries and rediscoveries on Mt. Mantalingahan will further strengthen the justification for our recommendation to have this important center of endemism in Palawan declared as protected area,” Trono said.

The expedition was joined by representatives from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff, South Palawan Planning Council, Western Philippines University, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Katala Foundation, Municipality of Rizal, Barangay Ransang and indigenous peoples’ groups.


Copyright 2007 Inquirer. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=80317

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1092/1004256078_3bee3a0b8a_b.jpg

by darknautilus (http://flickr.com/photos/8237720@N05/)

Palawan Aerial by Beautiful Disaster
(http://flickr.com/photos/beautifullldisaster/)
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Palawan's Southernmost Point by MoMo1986 (http://flickr.com/photos/momo1986/)

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is palawan part of Luzon?

Yes.

^^ whats the exact location of that last pic of two? its my first time to see that.

is palawan part of Luzon?

No longer. Palawan was transferred to Western Visayas (Region VI) by Executive Order 429. source (http://www.ops.gov.ph/records/eo_no429.htm)

^ But the EO was reversed so Palawan is still part of Luzon (in fact, this thread was transferred to the Visayas section then back :D)

No longer. Palawan was transferred to Western Visayas (Region VI) by Executive Order 429. source (http://www.ops.gov.ph/records/eo_no429.htm)


Is this a new source? I think Palawan belongs to MIMAROPA region and a region which is part of Luzon. :)

not anymore pre.. the island is now with WV.

^^ again. thats old issue. palawan is in luzon.

By Michael Lim Ubac
Inquirer
Last updated 03:57am (Mla time) 08/11/2007


MANILA, Philippines—President Macapagal-Arroyo has urged Vietnam and other countries laying claim to the disputed Spratly island chain to take the “next step” in cooperation as she reported promising oil survey results there.

The President made the proposal during a state dinner she hosted for visiting Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung late Thursday.

Claimants China, the Philippines and Vietnam launched a joint seismic survey two years ago to assess the potential for petroleum development on the seabed beneath the disputed South China Sea chain, also claimed in whole or in part by Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

“The data-gathering and analysis are expected to finish next year, but already the initial results are promising,” the President said in her speech, the text of which was released by Malacañang on Friday.

“We should now explore the possible next steps. This will be the biggest bridge that will bind our 30-year bonds,” she said of the seismic survey, called the Joint Oceanographic and Marine Scientific Research Expedition in the South China Sea.

China, Vietnam and the Philippines signed a tripartite agreement for the project in Malacañang on March 14, 2005.

The President said the joint undertaking to assess the potential of petroleum development was a breakthrough for the Philippines’ energy independence program and in providing more energy supply for the region.

She said it was also a breakthrough for regional peace and security as it was in accordance with the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China aimed at turning the disputed chain into “an area of cooperation rather than an area of conflict.”

Ms Arroyo meanwhile praised Vietnam’s leaders for opening up the communist country’s economy.

“Your fearless risk-taking structural change toward strong global engagement did not fail you. Instead it rewarded you with your impressive economic growth,” she said.

“You want Vietnam, and we want the Philippines, to actively engage in local, regional and global affairs because that is the future,” the President added.

Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization in January and is enjoying rapid growth, with the economy expanding 7.87 percent in the first half of the year.

The state dinner last Thursday followed the signing of bilateral agreements in Malacañang in the areas of defense, security, energy, trade, agriculture and fisheries, health, tourism and education.

Dung, with his wife Tran Thanh Kiem, arrived on Thursday for a two-day state visit. With Agence France-Presse

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view_article.php?article_id=81872

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praning lang US coz china is beating them in almost all fields....china is taking over the world and US is envious that the influence the unilaterally has is deminishing....and china is filling the gap.....for the philippines it should be forward looking and start the modernization of its armed forces...

The problem is, I don't think the Philippine government has the fund for modernization of the armed forces of the Philippines. We can ask the Chinese to aids us in modernization, because of this spratley Island issues. US is the only way for it but normally, they usually give the Philippines the "hand-me-down" old US arms which is somehow might still be good but it is not enough to match the Chinese capabilities. And if the Philippine gov was able to manage modernizing it's Armed Forces, The Philippine Arm forces is still smaller comparing to the Chinese... Only UN council can help the Philippines on this Issue..

I hope we could find a way to siphon out the oil in the entire Kalayaan group by drilling from Palawan mainland. :lol:

Anyway, if RP economy gets better in the next 5-10yrs, perhaps we can buy military equipment we could use to defend our claim to this area (say around AD 2012-2017). Then we can start exploring oil during those times...

Q: Is Scarborough Shoal part of Spratly Group? And can Chinese submarines reach and operate in Kalayaan considering their endurance and the water depth in this area?

I hope we could find a way to siphon out the oil in the entire Kalayaan group by drilling from Palawan mainland. :lol:

Anyway, if RP economy gets better in the next 5-10yrs, perhaps we can buy military equipment we could use to defend our claim to this area (say around AD 2012-2017). Then we can start exploring oil during those times...

Q: Is Scarborough Shoal part of Spratly Group? And can Chinese submarines reach and operate in Kalayaan considering their endurance and the water depth in this area?

About drilling oil in Palawan to siphon oil from the Spratly, perhaps it is possible if the oil from Spratly extends up to Palawan coast. However the sea bottom from the Palawan coast up to the Spratly and Kalayaan Group is not even. About 60 miles from the coast of Palawan the sea becoming deepr and then it is shallow again about 20 to 5 feet. The deeper area which is about 60 miles from the coast is the Palawan Passage, the route used by most vessels from Singapore strait to China and Japan etc, during strong Northeast Monsoon.

Most probably the oil in the Spratly and Kalayaan islands does not extend up to Palawan coast, of course there maybe Oil also on the Palawan coast but I guess it is not connected to the Oil deposits in the Spratly and our KIG.
Of course there is also Oil deeper sea like the oilfields in North Sea off Scotland coast.

If there is Oil in our Kalayaan Islands Group then pumping out the Oils from the Wells, it is possible to siphon the nearby oil in the waters occupied by Vietnam, Taiwan and China. Then the oil from our KIG can be transported by a system of undersea piping system till before the sea runs deeper in the Palawan. I guess it is not commercially viable to lay pipes in underneath the sea of deeper depth, unless we own all the islands in the south China Sea in the Spratly area. Actually even now and since a year ago, some foreign oil drilling company were exploring oils in the Spratly and KIG.

Submarines can only operate in deep water which is used by Freighters and
huge oil tankers and Very large crude carriers, that is in deep sea west of the Spratly and KIG and the north of the mentioned group of islands, and in Palawan Passage. Even 5,000 Gross tons cargo vessels can ran aground in the shallow water of the Spratly group. Only fishing boats and small Navy vessels can navigate inside the Spratly and our KIG, owing to shallow waters and numerous shoal grounds.

About the Scarborough, I will include it in my next posting.

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Sovereignty dispute

The Philippines, the People's Republic of China, and Republic of China (Taiwan) all claim Scarborough Shoal but, as of 2007, the area is occupied by the Philippine Navy with international fishing tolerated in the area. Thick layers of guano lie on the rocks in the area. Tourism bloomed in the area with diving excursions (1998) and amateur radio DXpeditions (1994, 1995, 1997 and 2007) were tolerated in the area; guarded by the Philippine Navy. The Philippine Navy has always been vigilant in the Scarborough Reef; (a Philippine-claimed EEZ) (see UNCLOS) for any suspicious or possible economic activity acted by the other claimants.
The Philippines base their claim on its proximity, its being in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone, and the principle of terra nullius, which holds that it was previously unclaimed by a sovereign state.
The Chinese and Taiwanese bases for claims are that the shoal was first mapped in the Yuan Dynasty as early as 1279 and was historically used by Chinese fishermen.

some unverified reports said that a few years ago some chinese fisherman build an structure in Scarborough reef.



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Scarborough Reef - 136 miles from Zambales coast and 530 miles from Hainan China

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South China Sea: Scarborough Reef

Description:

Scarborough Reef is noted for high levels of biodiversity. The populations of organisms on the reefs of the South China Sea are believed to be linked through the exchange of the free-swimming life stages that characterize most reef species. Being highly isolated, Scarborough Reef may play a particularly crucial role as an "outpost" in this exchange of genetic material and in the restocking of overfished fringing reefs in the Philippines and China.

Threats:

Like the Spratly Islands to the southwest, Scarborough Reef is the subject of ownership disputes. The reef is claimed by the Philippines, mainland China, and Taiwan. Fishers from all three areas regularly fish the reef. However, the unclear ownership and lack of regulation exacerbate competition for the resources. Fishers stock up on blasting devices and cyanide to fish the reef in short, destructive trips. The reef is a major site for shark fishing with gill nets and for the capture of large fish for the live fish trade using cyanide. Ships load their holds with coral to sell as decorations for store windows and aquariums.

The U.S. military used the reef for bombing practice during the 1990 confrontation with Iraq, complicating matters. Large and unique underwater dunelike structures of organ-pipe coral tens of meters long were used as targets. Substantial areas of coral were torn apart by the explosions. Many of the bombs failed to explode, littering the lagoon with live ordinance. It is reportedly common for a fisher to drop a small explosive charge in a beer bottle, only to set off a massive explosion. Visitors to the reef over the years have reported increasing levels of degradation from the combination of abuses to the reef.

http://pubs.wri.org/pubs_content_text.cfm?ContentID=86

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Photos of Private Expedition in 1997 that originated from Mainland China.

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Expedition from the Philippines.

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http://www.boundaries.com/US-Asia.htm

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^^ Thanks for the clarification... So I guess the Chinese subs can operate near Palawan Passage but not inside Spratlys... can their subs go out to sea continiously for, say, 3 weeks or more? How about their surface ships? I think there were warships inside Mischief Reef on the PN recon photos shown on TV during Ramos administration.

I also believe Taiwan has lots of subs too... US subs perhaps? But I dont think they'd use it on the Spratlys since their hands are full patrolling agaist mainland China forces...

I just hope RP would be able to defend Kalayaan Municipality from the invaders, just like Great Britain defended the Falkland Islands against Argentina...

There was news on GMA7 several months ago where they showed in video that a PN supply ship ran aground in Pag-asa Is. And there was news that the airstrip there will be repaired and expanded (for tourism purposes)... Perhaps we can station a missile launcher here which could reach the other "invaded islands"... with the commander-in-chief's go signal, the PN would be able to wipe out the enemies (including the islands/reefs) within minutes :lol: ...

Has there been a study of oil prospects around Scarborough shoal? In case there is oil here, would a pipeline to Subic be feasible considering the ocean terrain?

We need to explore oil within our own yard before other nations exhaust these resources!

^^ Thanks for the clarification... So I guess the Chinese subs can operate near Palawan Passage but not inside Spratlys... can their subs go out to sea continiously for, say, 3 weeks or more? How about their surface ships? I think there were warships inside Mischief Reef on the PN recon photos shown on TV during Ramos administration.

I also believe Taiwan has lots of subs too... US subs perhaps? But I dont think they'd use it on the Spratlys since their hands are full patrolling agaist mainland China forces...

I just hope RP would be able to defend Kalayaan Municipality from the invaders, just like Great Britain defended the Falkland Islands against Argentina...

There was news on GMA7 several months ago where they showed in video that a PN supply ship ran aground in Pag-asa Is. And there was news that the airstrip there will be repaired and expanded (for tourism purposes)... Perhaps we can station a missile launcher here which could reach the other "invaded islands"... with the commander-in-chief's go signal, the PN would be able to wipe out the enemies (including the islands/reefs) within minutes :lol: ...

Has there been a study of oil prospects around Scarborough shoal? In case there is oil here, would a pipeline to Subic be feasible considering the ocean terrain?

We need to explore oil within our own yard before other nations exhaust these resources!

submarines or any other surface ships can operate for quite a long time at sea, it only depends on how much supplies they got, food, water, fuel oil.
But I think one month inside a submarine is enought for the morale of the crew.

A US Navy submarines before was able to circumnavigate the word runnind underwater without surfacing till they reach the home port.

About missile launcher the other islands held by Vietnames, Chinese Taiwan, and PRC Chinese also have missile launchers etc, so it is just a matter of who will fire first.

About the Naval ships of our Phil Navy, their displacement is only from 500 to 2,000 tons, the interisland ferry between Cebu and Leyte is much more bigger than our Navy ships. So they can go inside the reef areas of our Kalayaan Islands Group.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/brp70.jpg



http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/PN39.jpg



http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/PN11.jpg

The biggest vessels of our Philippine Navy ships, just the right size of naval ships for the Spratly group and KIG. However these ships were mostly Vietnam era ships from the US Navy and now mostly have engine problems and few years ago when they bring some local foreign journalist to our Pagasa islands, the ship have engine problem and just stopped at sea, later it was towed by other same type of Naval vessels. Mabuti na lang hindi rin nagkaroon ng engine trouble yaong nag tow sa kanila.

^^ I believe the pictures of those PN ships were during their heydays... any recent ones?

(Ooopps sorry OT)

INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON
Plan to declare mountain as protected area faces setback

By Redempto Anda
Southern Luzon Bureau
Last updated 03:59am (Mla time) 08/23/2007

MANILA, Philippines – Plans to declare as a protected area the biodiversity-rich forest enclave of Mt. Mantalingahan in southern Palawan faced setbacks after village heads of the municipality of Brooke’s Point, 192 kilometers south of the capital city of Puerto Princesa, passed resolutions withdrawing support to the move, allegedly upon the instigation of mining companies.

Almost all of the 13 barangay captains of Brooke’s Point have signed two resolutions of withdrawal to the protected area development project, according to Efren Balmonte, barangay captain of Ipilan during a radio program sponsored by the mining companies operating in Palawan.

Balmonte said they realized that the project would result to the displacement of communities living around the proposed park.

“We learned that they will fence the area and evict the people there,” he said.

When they endorsed the project last year they were not told what would happen to the affected villagers, he added.

The plan to delineate 120,457 hectares of mostly old growth forests around Mt. Mantalingahan is a joint effort of the five municipalities around the mountain range with technical support from Conservation International Philippines (CI).

Recently, CI announced the discovery of at least two new species—an orchid and a mountain shrew—during a five-week biological survey of the upper areas of Mantalingahan.

Brooke’s Point Vice Mayor Jean Feliciano told the Inquirer that the municipal council has yet to receive the resolution.

“We will discuss that in the council. But insofar as the commitment of Brooke’s Point is concerned, we cannot just withdraw from it simply because of the signatures of the barangay captains,” Feliciano said.

Support resolution

The Southern Palawan Planning Council, a body composed of all five municipalities covering Mt. Mantalingahan, meanwhile said that it had received endorsements to the protected area project from the irrigators’ association.

In separate resolutions, the Brooke’s Point Rural Waterworks and Sanitation Inc. and the Pangobilian Multi-Purpose Cooperative expressed support for the project, saying this will ensure the continued source of water for their farmlands.

“About 59,000 people comprising 11,800 households of Brooke’s Point are entirely dependent on Mt. Mantalingahan. We need to protect it,” the resolution said.

Feliciano alleged that mining companies, who have business interests around Mt. Mantalingahan, are involved in a “disinformation campaign” to block its declaration as a protected area.

“I know for a fact that individuals identified with the mining companies are doing the rounds of the barangays to precisely ask them to oppose the project,” Feliciano said.

One of the mining companies in the preliminary stage of conducting nickel mining operations in Brooke’s Point, however, denied any hand in the barangay captains’ resolution.

“We haven’t expressed any opposition to that project. We are not directly affected by that. We already have our MPSA (mineral production sharing agreement) and we’ve already passed that stage of ‘permitting,’” Rufo Cabanlig, vice president for mining operations of MacroAsia Corp., said.

MacroAsia is planning to operate a 25-year concession for nickel ore in Brooke’s Point.

No endorsement

Feliciano claimed MacroAsia got its MPSA from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources “under spurious circumstances.”

She alleged that the endorsement of Brooke’s Point was “railroaded.”

“They passed the resolution on first reading. The council didn’t even go through public hearings. They just approved the endorsement immediately after the resolution was filed,” Feliciano said.

When the previous council deliberated on the resolution for MacroAsia, the sponsor called for an immediate voting on the issue, which resulted to a 5-5 split, that was broken by the presiding officer, then Vice Mayor Danilo Chan, in favor of the company, she explained.

“Vice Mayor Chan was not even authorized to preside over that meeting because he was acting mayor when it happened,” Feliciano said.
Worse, Feliciano added, the minutes of the council’s deliberation on the MacroAsia mining project has been missing.

MacroAsia said it followed “proper procedures” in securing its permit from the DENR, including the endorsement of the municipality, as a condition to the granting of a final permit.


Copyright 2007 Southern Luzon Bureau. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view_article.php?article_id=84172

Puerto Princesa City declares total ban on large-scale mining

Thursday, August 23, 2007

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – Shocked by the overwhelming number of mining applications covering almost every square inch of this newly created highly urbanized city’s 254,000 hectares, Mayor Edward Hagedorn declared a total ban on large-scale mining yesterday.

“This mad rush to mine every square inch of the city is insane, ridiculous and totally reprehensible. Even the fabled St. Paul Subterranean Underground River, which is a declared World Heritage Site, has not been spared by predatory mining companies who filed applications for large-scale mining of black marble and other minerals in the area,” Hagedorn said in a statement.

Puerto Princesa City and the province of Palawan are rich in mineral resources. Since the passage of the new Mining Act, there has been a deluge of mining applications covering a range of rich mineral resources from gold, chromite, nickel, copper to marble and other precious metals, Hagedorn said.

In declaring a “total war” against large-scale commercial mining, Hagedorn said, “This so-called economic enterprise is offensive to and runs smack against the city’s long-term vision and strategy for sustainable economic and social development.”

“The only allowable small-scale mining enterprise we will allow are rock quarrying and sand and gravel businesses which are essential to infrastructure development and the construction industry and housing,” he said.


http://philstar.com/index.php?Nation&p=49&type=2&sec=28&aid=2007082281

no mining in Puerto Princessa

CLUB NOAH, PALAWAN

http://www.travelplaces.co.uk/images/clubnoah-palawan.jpg

Puerto Princesa positions itself as ecotourism destination in RP (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Business&p=52&type=2&sec=71&aid=20070917140)

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Following the Dos Palmas incident, Puerto Princesa’s stakeholders that include all private sectors in business like airlines, shipping, and resort and hotel industries are collaborating to promote the city as an eco-tourism destination of the country.

This year, there was a reported 12% increase of tourist arrivals in Puerto Princesa, this according to the president of their City Tourism Council Felisa C. Torres in an interview. She said that Puerto Princesa’s thrust at the moment is to promote and attract tourists to come to their city as they are abundant with beautiful tourist destinations.

However, she underscored that they still lack five star hotels in the area and Dos Palmas and The Legends Palawan is only among the few. She said that they are as of the moment getting investors to locate their business in the city to boost its hotel industry to address the growing demand.

Torres relished that the city have indeed endured hardships after the infamous Dos Palmas terror incident but she added that through their collaborative determination and aggressiveness to promote the area’s tourism, they are now seeing an increase of tourist arrivals.

“The incident seemed to have been wiped out from the minds of our tourists, and this is because of the beauty and bounties of Puerto Princesa that no one can ignore,” stressed Torres.

Puerto Princesa receives a mixture of tourists, 50% of which are domestic and another 50% are foreign. And these foreign guests are mostly Koreans and Europeans.

The city of Puerto Princesa was among the exhibitors of the first Philippine International Tourism Fair (PITF) that was held at the Cebu International Convention Center where they showcased all the beautiful tourism destinations that they can offer together with private institutions like tour, hotel, and resort operators.

napakaganda, this place is breathtaking; and the pictures are great. how long is the flight from manila to here, a couple of hours?

Conde Nast Traveler magazine has voted Palawan as home of the overall best beaches in Asia!:banana:

Check out article at the Conde Nast Traveler Magazine (http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/detail?articleId=11432) site.

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00404.jpg
capitol

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g21/palawan_buddy/new/DSC00416.jpg
puerto princesa official logo


unique!!!

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Sovereignty dispute

The Philippines, the People's Republic of China, and Republic of China (Taiwan) all claim Scarborough Shoal but, as of 2007, the area is occupied by the Philippine Navy with international fishing tolerated in the area. Thick layers of guano lie on the rocks in the area. Tourism bloomed in the area with diving excursions (1998) and amateur radio DXpeditions (1994, 1995, 1997 and 2007) were tolerated in the area; guarded by the Philippine Navy. The Philippine Navy has always been vigilant in the Scarborough Reef; (a Philippine-claimed EEZ) (see UNCLOS) for any suspicious or possible economic activity acted by the other claimants.
The Philippines base their claim on its proximity, its being in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone, and the principle of terra nullius, which holds that it was previously unclaimed by a sovereign state.
The Chinese and Taiwanese bases for claims are that the shoal was first mapped in the Yuan Dynasty as early as 1279 and was historically used by Chinese fishermen.

some unverified reports said that a few years ago some chinese fisherman build an structure in Scarborough reef.



http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/scarborough3x640.jpg

Scarborough Reef - 136 miles from Zambales coast and 530 miles from Hainan China

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/scarborough2x640.jpg



http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/scarborough1x640.jpg





South China Sea: Scarborough Reef

Description:

Scarborough Reef is noted for high levels of biodiversity. The populations of organisms on the reefs of the South China Sea are believed to be linked through the exchange of the free-swimming life stages that characterize most reef species. Being highly isolated, Scarborough Reef may play a particularly crucial role as an "outpost" in this exchange of genetic material and in the restocking of overfished fringing reefs in the Philippines and China.

Threats:

Like the Spratly Islands to the southwest, Scarborough Reef is the subject of ownership disputes. The reef is claimed by the Philippines, mainland China, and Taiwan. Fishers from all three areas regularly fish the reef. However, the unclear ownership and lack of regulation exacerbate competition for the resources. Fishers stock up on blasting devices and cyanide to fish the reef in short, destructive trips. The reef is a major site for shark fishing with gill nets and for the capture of large fish for the live fish trade using cyanide. Ships load their holds with coral to sell as decorations for store windows and aquariums.

The U.S. military used the reef for bombing practice during the 1990 confrontation with Iraq, complicating matters. Large and unique underwater dunelike structures of organ-pipe coral tens of meters long were used as targets. Substantial areas of coral were torn apart by the explosions. Many of the bombs failed to explode, littering the lagoon with live ordinance. It is reportedly common for a fisher to drop a small explosive charge in a beer bottle, only to set off a massive explosion. Visitors to the reef over the years have reported increasing levels of degradation from the combination of abuses to the reef.

http://pubs.wri.org/pubs_content_text.cfm?ContentID=86

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Photos of Private Expedition in 1997 that originated from Mainland China.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/scarborougchinaexped.jpg


http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/Scarborough20reef20mar20della20Cina.jpg

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Expedition from the Philippines.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/scarboroughreef.jpg

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http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/IBC2.jpg


http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb244/jibrael865/IBC3.jpg


http://www.boundaries.com/US-Asia.htm

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super layo naman pala sa china eh!

French hit reality show earns points for Palawan
Ivy Lisa F. Mendoza

Unknown to many Filipinos, the pristine beauty of Palawan was all the rage in France (and some parts of Belgium) last year when at least nine million people were glued to their seats for 11 weeks to watch the seventh season of "Koh Lanta."

Hosted by Denis Brogniart, "Koh Lanta" is the French franchise of the popular reality American TV show "Survivor."

Season 7 was shot entirely in El Nido in Palawan, and there could not be any better location, as attested by the host, the 16 contestants, 70 production and crew people, plus about 100 local people who worked together for 40 days to bring to French televiewers the excitement and adventure that are typically "Survivor."

"It’s just incredible! The rich images, the amazing sea side, the rich formations, the limestones, the clean and transparent waters. Everything about Palawan is amazing," gushed Brogniart , an avid diver himself who is also wildly famous in France for hosting the Formula 1 race series.

Brogniart certainly knows what he is talking about as he has been hosting Koh Lanta for eight years now, taking the show to different exotic locations that are deliberated upon by the production people with much thought and consideration for aspects such as the logistics available, security, sanitary, the locals, etc.

In the past, the show has taken survivors to the islands of Koh Lanta in Thailand (thus the show title), Costa Rica, Panama, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. But for Brogniart, Palawan and New Caledonia are the best.

Koh Lanta in Palawan is also by far the most successful of the series, garnering an average of 40 percent market share with at least 10 million viewers eagerly watching the finale.

The producers of Koh Lanta were also delighted with the topography of Palawan, offering the show the versatility it needed for the tough weekly challenges, most of them physical, while providing the viewers a telegenic feast for the eyes.

"In as much as it is isolated, Palawan also has the needed infrastructure that we required, and the facilities that we require in every place, such as access for medical personnel and facilities, etc," explained producer Thierry Graff. He added that it did not take them more than three inspections to confirm that Palawan was it for the show’s Season 7.


Safe, definitely

It did not come as a surprise thus for the Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT) that Palawan would attract so much positive interest from the French tourist market.

Marie Venus Q. Tan, tourism attache and DoT director for Western, Central and Eastern Europe, emphasized the enormity of the media mileage that the country got out of the show.

"We would even get calls from people who are asking what the regulations are if they want to retire in Palawan! That is so flattering," remarked Tan.

The experience exhilarated Brogniart so much that long after the Palawan season was over, and they are very well on their way to the eighth season, the French TV icon still could not stop talking about Palawan.

"I too get a lot of questions. From people on the street, from emails, from letters, from my colleagues and friends, asking about Palawan, and I would always say ’go, and if you can , spend two weeks.’ The scenic waters, the people, the best diving sites, they are all worth it," Brogniart said.

He also underscored how safe the country is.

"I think it is more dangerous to cross the streets of Paris than stay in the Philippines. The only danger I faced when I was there was when I was jogging on the three-kilometer beach and a big dog kept following me. After that, I had a treadmill flown in," the amiable host laughed.

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x287/GearX_2007/palawan.gif

source (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR20071022106350.html)

Palawan has Asia’s top beaches, Conde Nast

In addition to underwater rivers and impressive coral formations, the breathtaking sugary beaches, coves and islets of the province of Palawan was voted as the tourist destination with the Best Beaches Overall in Asia by American magazine Conde Nast Traveler in its Great Asian Beach Finder review.

Conde Nast Traveler is one of the pioneering and most respected tourism publications in the world, catering to high-end luxury tourists and adventure seekers.

"Palawan is undoubtedly one of the Philippines’ prized jewels. This achievement validates the collaborative efforts of the department, the local government and the private sector in preserving and promoting the country’s nature attractions," said Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano.

Palawan, composed of 1,780 islands has also landed in the international travel polls of other magazines including SmartTravelAsia.com and Forbes Traveler.

In Conde Nast Traveler, the beaches of Palawan bested other first-rate destinations in the Asian region including Beach No. 7 in Havelock Island, India, the Nihiwatu Beach in Indonesia, and the Laem Tong Bay in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand which was made famous by the Hollywood movie "The Beach."

Palawan also bested the shores of Baa, North Ari and North Male Atolls in Maldives.

Conde Nast Traveler marveled at the various spectacular sites in the province. Among the Palawan attractions cited was the Tubbataha Reef Marine Park, located southeast of Puerto Princesa. The ecosystem is made up of two atolls that lie on a line of extinct underwater volcanoes and is a sanctuary for marine life.

The publication also noted the St. Paul Subterranean River, which boasts of nature-made limestone sculptures.

Both the reef and the underwater river are listed under the World Heritage Sites of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Conde Nast Traveler further explored the wonders of the Miniloc Island Resort and the world-famous private resort of Amanpulo.

A perfect diving spot, Secretary Durano also explained that most visitors travel to Palawan to witness the teeming marine life in the province.

"Palawan’s popularity should only encourage our other coastal towns to develop their areas for diving, snorkeling and other eco-tourism activities. The department is ready to help them to bring in more sustainable economic opportunities to their communities."


source (http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR20071022106351.html)

Businessmen investing in new resorts – DOT

By Helen Flores
The Philippine Star
Monday, October 29, 2007

Businessmen are investing billions of pesos in constructing new first-class resorts and in expanding existing ones to accommodate the rising number of foreign and domestic tourists, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano said yesterday.

Speaking at the Manila Overseas Press Club’s “Tourism Night,” Durano said at least three high-class resorts in Palawan are adding new villas and suites as a part of their expansion programs.

These resorts are El Rio Y Mar Island Resort, a sister company of Club Paradise Resort in Coron; Amanpulo Resort on Pamalicalan Island, which is touted as the most expensive resort in the Philippines; and the Dos Palmas Island Resort and Spa on Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa, he added.

El Rio is reportedly building 80 new rooms while Dos Palmas is adding 88 new villas.

No details, however, were given to the expansion plans of Amanpulo, which is luring rich foreign tourists and a number of wealthy Filipinos.

Durano said another upscale resort, Eskaya Beach
Resort and Spa, recently opened in Panglao Island in Bohol. He said investors have reportedly committed to invest nearly a billion pesos for the resort.

The 200-room Shangri La Boracay Resort & Spa will open in August 2008 while the Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort & Spa on Mactan Island, Cebu is scheduled to open in 2009, he added.

Investors have recently completed the Camiguin Highland Resort on an eight-hectare lanzones plantation, Durano said.

In Eastern Samar, a multimillion-dollar resort is being constructed on Calicoan Island, which is emerging as a surfing destination in the Visayas.

In Bicol, Masibis Land is developing a first-class resort, with its own cable car, on Cagraray Island near Legazpi City.

Durano said these projects are part of the P160 billion in new hotel and resort investments that are underway. The government expects more than three million foreign tourists this year, and about five million by 2010.

The tourism sector is contributing about $2.5 billion a year to the economy, he added.

In 2006, international tourism receipts from 2.84 million visitors to the Philippines totaled $2.7 billion or about P135 billion. Tourism receipts are expected to hit $4 billion this year with the influx of more long-staying and high-spending tourists such as the Europeans, Durano said.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20071028116

Banyan Tree expands into Philippines.
Wednesday, 14th November 2007
Source : Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts

This new venture is the first project for the Banyan Tree Holdings in the Philippines.

Banyan Tree and its partner, Mr Salvador B Zamora II, a prominent businessman in the mining and real estate industries, have entered into a joint venture to develop and operate luxury resorts on Dinaran Island in the Philippines. The joint venture agreement was signed this morning in the Philippines between Mr. Zamora and Mr Ariel Vera, Banyan Tree’s Group Managing Director. Banyan Tree will acquire a significant interest in the joint venture.

The parties plan to develop two resorts on the island, each of which will retain a secluded and intimate ambience due to the island’s size and terrain. The total development costs for these two resorts is estimated at around US$70 million.

Banyan Tree will master plan, provide architectural and interior design concepts for the resorts which will include its signature pool villa, multi-award winning spa and its unique brand of Asian hospitality. The entire project is targeted for completion in 2010.

The uninhabited island, which has an area of about 55 hectares, is surrounded by stretches of white-sand beach. Located south of Manila in Palawan Province, Dinaran Island is just 15 minutes away by speedboat from the thriving town of Coron.

Visitors can reach Coron through daily scheduled flights of approximately one hour from Manila to Yulo King Ranch Airport in Busuanga, which is the adjourning town to Coron.

"We believe Philippines will grow into an important luxury tourist destination and our resorts in Dinaran will not only enhance our position as a premier resort chain in Asia but will also give us an important foothold in a country with tremendous potential. We also intend to explore other development opportunities here, and seek out partnerships with local investors,” said Executive Chairman, Mr Ho Kwon Ping.

This project is not expected to have any material financial impact on the Group’s earnings and its net tangibl


http://www.4hoteliers.com

Investments pouring in -- PGMA
Thursday, November 15 2007 @ 11:08 PM UTC

Business
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Wednesday night enthused about the investments that continue to pour into the country, and the continuing surge in the stock market despite the bomb blast at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City last Tuesday.

“Today, the Philippines is on a path to permanent economic growth and stability, at… marami tayong tinatamasa ngayon, bumubuhos ang pamumuhunan,” President Arroyo gushed as she talked about the latest investor to locate in the Philippines – the Banyan Tree Group that turned Phuket, Thailand into an international tourism destination.

“Halimbawa, kaninang hapon (Nov. 14, 2007), nagbisita sa akin sa Malacañang yung Banyan Tree Group at nagbigay ng press conference pagkatapos. Itong Banyan Tree and nagsimula ng tourism sa Phuket. Sila rin ang nag-develop ng turismo sa Maldives at sa Seychelles. At ngayon ay magtatayo sila ng five-star resort sa northern Palawan, sa isang island sa Coron,” the President told the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP) which invited her to be its guest of honor and speaker at the KBP’s 33rd Top-Level Conference here last night.

President Arroyo reported that aside from its 55-hectare area in Palawan, the Singapore-based tourism-investing group is still looking for 300 hectares of land to add to its initial area so that it could create an entire “resort community” like it did in Phuket.

“Ito ay isang halimbawa, pinaka-latest sa mga bumubuhos na pamumuhunan sa ating bansa, at… malakas ang piso, masigasig ang stock market – kahit na nagkaroon ng bomba doon sa Batasan kagabi, tumaas pa rin ang stock market kanina.”

The President – who noted that the KBP itself has “matured enough and become stable enough to have a new beginning” – also cited the Arroyo administration’s successful job-creation record: “And, of course, very fundamentally, nakalikha tayo ng anim na milyong trabaho sa nakaraang anim na taon…”

“Maganda ang ipinakita ng inyong tema – ‘New Media, New Beginnings, New Challenges, New KBP’ – indeed, it is time for a new beginning, and when we talk about a new beginning, we talk about moving on.

“It’s time for the nation to move on and focus on the issues that are important for our future. Just as the KBP is focusing on technology… we are talking about creating more jobs; lowering prices, or at least, keeping them from going up; providing affordable housing; providing access to education for all our children.”

In closing, the President stressed to the broadcaster leaders that “the pre-occupation with politics does not promote the stability, policy continuity, security and peace and order that we need to continue to move our country forward…”

The President then cited a truism in the business of media: “If by getting a lot of listenership or viewership because you sensationalize, you may gain something in the short run… If in the long run, that contributes to instability, that also reduces economic activity, and also reduces your capability to have a sustained advertising market.”


source (http://biz.balita.ph/html/article.php?story=20071115230849310)

^^:applause::applause::applause: I hope I can visit Palawan again, kulang ang 3 days vacation ko dyan. :cheers:

:banana:

Just curious...... What's the weather like in Palawan? Is the island in the storm path and if yes, where's the better place to live, the east or west side of the island? Thanks.

Palawan..:banana:

Just curious...... What's the weather like in Palawan? Is the island in the storm path and if yes, where's the better place to live, the east or west side of the island? Thanks.

its really warm and windy oftentimes. its not part of the typhoon belt so the island is seldom directly hit by a typhoon. usually, its only the northern part which is hit.
the island is really narrow so theres really no concept of east or west. towns are small, except perhaps of the capital city. most towns in the main island, including the city is in the east coast. (e.g. Puerto princesa,narra, and taytay)

Thanks for the straight answer, palawan_buddy. A friend of mine came back from a trip last year and he could not help himself but talk about how beautiful it is to see the island. I'm thinking of doing a scouting trip next month. First, I've got to get my motorcycle revived from storage. If you're available, I would like to meet with you. Thanks again.

:cool: ^^ I have been to three resorts in Palawan....Club Noah, El Nido Lagen and Dos Palmas. They are all beautiful. It is, to me, hands down the best place to visit. I visited all three times in the month of October. It rained in the afternoon in Club Noah. In El nido, the water was slightly turbid because- I was told- of plankton. Resort personnel said May is the best time to go there because the water is at its clearest. Dos Palmas was just perfect. We stayed for three days. The first day, there were a lot of Korean newlyweds. They all left the next day, so there were only us and another couple left. We occupied the same water cottage the Bernhams stayed in. As far as weather is concern, I believe it has a lot to do with the prevailing wind at certain times of the year....so-called Amihan and Habagat. Go visit Palawan....you won't regret it!

^^
Thanks for the input OilMover. I'm actually looking at exploring the hinterlands with my dirtbike, but I will certainly visit some the places you mentioned for some R&R. :cheers:

I offer to unite the whole of citizens of Asean ostracizing the commodity of China. It's not only a position of strenh but also a disadvantage of China.

after scarborough reef baka in the near future china might claim palawan next...oh china...theyre not satisfied with their big land...lol...gud lak Philippines!!!!!!!!

Dear fellow South East Asians

Firstly, please forgive me for taking the liberty to post on your forum - I am Vietnamese, not Filipino. I hope my post will not offend you.

I am aware that your country and mine have a dispute over the Spratly archipelago. To be precise, the dispute is over only a part of the Spratlys, because the Philippines only claims a part of the Spratlys - this part is called the Kalayaan Islands Group, which is only a part of the Spratlys, not all of the Spratlys.

I'm not going to say whether my country is right or your country is right, as that will get us nowhere. What I will say is this:

I sincerely hope that the dispute between our countries will be settled diplomatically, in a way that is fair to both sides, eg, some islands go to your country, some go to mine. If necessary, I hope that the dispute could be resolved in the international courts, according to international laws, in a civilized and fair manner. Just as I do not wish my country to suffer injustice, I do not wish your country to suffer it.

For your country and mine, I would say that we do not have the ability to take islands from you by force, and you do not have the ability to take islands from us by force either. So we are not serious threats to each other.

One thing you might not be aware of is this:

The position of the Vietnamese government is that, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the islands in the Spratlys are not entitled to EEZ and continental shelf. This means that, although we claim the Spratlys, we believe that the EEZ and the continental shelf in Kalayaan Islands Group belong to the Philippines by virtue of proximity to the Philippines' coast.

Let's put the above into perspective: Although we are in dispute with you over the Kalayaan Islands Group, these islands are less than 5 km2, on the other hand, we think that the EEZ and continental shelf in the Kalayaan Islands Group belong to you, and these are hundreds of thousands of km2.

Given this perspective, I hope that you can see that it is quite feasible for your country and mine to come to a civilised and fair settlement.

Contrast this with the situation regarding China.

Firstly, China claims all of the Spratlys, including the Kalayaan Islands Group.

Secondly, China has the ability to take islands from both our countries. And it has actually done this in the past. So, while we are not serious threats to each other, China is deadly threat to both out countries.

Thirdly, in addition to claiming all the islands, China is claiming virtually all of the South China Sea. Have you seen maps published by China? China thinks that its maritime boundary is up to a thousand miles from the coast of mainland China and Hainan island, and to a few dozen miles from the coast of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. If you don't believe me, look at Chinese maps.

One example of the significance of this: While Vietnam thinks that the EEZ and the continental shelf in the Kalayaan Islands area belongs to the Philippines, China think they belong to China.

Look at some figures:

The South China Sea is 3.5 million km2. There are 9 countries around the South China Sea. China wants to claim 2.6 million km2 for itself. That's 75%. This leaves 25% for the other 8 countries. Each of the other 8 countries, including yours and mine, gets on average 3%.

75% vs 3%. The numbers speak for themselves.

What would be the effect of China taking over 75% of the South China Sea on the economy, defence and independence of your country and mine?

I can bet you any money that the effect would be a lot more serious than a bit of give and take in the 5km2 of islands in the the Kalayaan Islands Group that we dispute with you.

So far, China's strategy is to divide and conquer.

Will we be victim to that strategy until China succeeds in taking over 75% of the South China Sea?

:sly: Hmm....I smell a conspiracy brewing. :lol:

Thanks for that info @SEAsian! :okay: I'm with you, China's greed is putting a monkey wrench into the potential peace and civility within the nations of the South China Sea region. Isn't it that a country's territorial waters extends a hundred miles off its shores? China must be high on crack thinking that it's a thousand miles off its coast. Past the hundred-mile mark, it's already out of jurisdiction and it's called "International Waters."

^^As I see it, China is so damn serious in taking the islands not only for "national pride" nor resources. Spratly's is smacked right in the center of SEA which makes it a potential strategic military base. Aside from potential oil reserves, the South China Sea is also one of the busiest if not the busiest trade route in the world mostly used by Japanese vessels, a major competitor in the power play of East Asia.

IF China succeeds in taking claim of these islands, the Philippines would be the most vulnerable country in SEA with regard to China. Imagine China right in your doorstep or your window, watching your every move (voyeur! :jk::lol:). The Philippines could not afford to go to war with China at least in the short to medium term unless some major powers would back us up (hello?! we can't even take hold of Sabah from Malaysia). But the latter scenario is very much doubtful. I don't think anyone would try to meddle in that war much more help a helpless country and ruin their own economy. Uncle Sam is not so generous.

Only the ASEAN could address this situation not because they would be sympathetic to us but because their interests would also be in jeopardy. Let's admit it, only a major power could defeat China in a war. Therefore ASEAN should pool its resources just to protect all of their interests and territory.

BUT this doesn't mean that China would be that foolhardy to attack any country in SEA just for a string of islands in the South China Sea. This would destroy their reputation in the world arena. And I think China is more conscious about that. Also, the US' presence in East Asia is not yet waning. Instead, it is placing its troops w/o the need of a base in various countries around China inc the Philippines, South Korea and other SEA allies. Japan is also a major ally of the US. And in the medium term, Japan may opt to change/amend its constitution to allow it to have an army. If that happens, things would become much more exciting (I'm ironic!?!) and complicated for EA.

Let's be cautious but not OA. Spratly's is not the only major issue with regard to China. They also have to deal more pressing issues such as Japan and South Korea; the nuclear talks in North Korea is also a headache for East Asian leaders; the US is also part of the calculation; the Taiwan issue is also a major issue for them. And in case you're not aware, China is buying allies across the world including small countries in Oceania and Africa for resources. But I think this has also something to do with international diplomacy. Of course, it would be good to have many allies.

:sly: Hmm....I smell a conspiracy brewing. :lol:

Thanks for that info @SEAsian! :okay: I'm with you, China's greed is putting a monkey wrench into the potential peace and civility within the nations of the South China Sea region. Isn't it that a country's territorial waters extends a hundred miles off its shores? China must be high on crack thinking that it's a thousand miles off its coast. Past the hundred-mile mark, it's already out of jurisdiction and it's called "International Waters."

A country can have up to a maximum of 12 miles of territorial waters, 200 miles of Exclusive Economic Zones, 350 miles of continental shelf.

Under this law, which Vietnam believes should apply to the Spratlys area (which includes the Kalayaan area), the EEZ and continental shelf in the Kalayaan area belong to the Philippines.

Furthermore, under this law, the EEZ and continental shelf that belong to the Philippines go further than the Kalayaan area: they go up to a maximum of 200 miles and 350 miles respectively from the Philippines' baseline, or they go to the middle line between the Philippines and other states.

I hope you believe that this law is fair. It is by the United Nations, BTW.

On the other hand, look at Chinese maps. They draw China's boundary as far as over 1000 miles from China's coast, and as near as a few dozen miles from the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. There are a few notes about the boundary China unilaterally draws:

1. 1000 miles is well beyond the 12 miles of territorial waters that the law allows.

2. 1000 miles is well beyond the 200 miles of EEZ and 350 miles of continental shelf that the law allows. And, geologically, the area is not even on China's continental shelf.

3. The boundary that China draws is certainly not on the middle line between states.

4. China claims that the area inside this boundary is its "historical waters". Historical waters have similar statuses as territorial waters. This means other countries would have even less rights in this area than if it were China's EEZ (which is it not). That would me like China having 1000 miles of territorial waters while the rest of the world have 12.

As long as the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam cannot settle differences, China will exploit the situation of conflict (in which the sovereignty over the islands are disputed) to seize more and more control of both the islands and the sea, until it gets all the islands and 75% of the sea.

Not only that, China deliberately blocks the the best solution for the conflict as follows:

The conflict is multi-lateral, involving the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and China. Given that the conflict is multi-lateral, any diplomatic solution must also be multi-lateral, involving all sides. This is the only hope that a diplomatic solution will work.

Unfortunately, China refuses to take part in multi-lateral negotiation. It insists on bi-lateral negotiation only, ie, between China and one other South East Asian country at a time.

It is clear why China insists on that:

a) It is classic divide and conquer strategy.

b) Bi-lateral negotiation cannot satisfactorily solve a multi-lateral dispute, so the conflict is prolonged, which gives China more opportunity to seize more and more control of the islands and the sea.

If the South East Asian countries don't wake up, by 2050 or earlier China will have achieved its aim of turning the South China sea into a Chinese lake. Then, not only China has all the resources (fish, oil), it also has a hand grip on South East Asia's heart.

The South East Asian country must wake up to this and prevent it from happening. We must unite and together pressure China to multi-lateral negotiation, pressure China to agree to to the international courts if necessary, and pressure China to agree to a regime of international law in the South China Sea.

If China refuses, we must act together to get other countries to put pressure on China.

Without these solutions, the big fish will eat the small fish, and Vietnam and the Philippines are both small fish.

BUT this doesn't mean that China would be that foolhardy to attack any country in SEA just for a string of islands in the South China Sea.


You are right that China is too smart to attack a country for a string of islands.

It is prepared to do a long seige. It waits. When there is an opportunity, it takes short, sharp action to seize a little bit more control. Then it waits again for the next opportunity. It can also use subtle actions which, although don't involve physically seizing territory, strengthen its grip on the disputed area.

The NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER's November-December 2007 issue came out with THE WORLD'S TOP 40 BEST ISLANDS voted by 522 experts commissioned by National Geographic.

The grading system:

BEST: Rated 77 or above. These islands are in excellent shape, are still relatively pristine, and are likely to remain so at least for the immediate future.

DOING WELL: Score of 66-77. These islands are in good shape with only minor problems.

IN THE BALANCE: Score of 50-65. A mix of strong attributes with potentially serious problems that need immediate attention.

IN TROUBLE: Score of below 50. These islands are facing svere problems, usually with excessive tourism among them.

PALAWAN, at #13, with a score of 72, is the highest ranking among islands in Asia! Here's the brief description: "Blessed with incredibly beautiful seascapes and landscapes. Richly diverse marine life threatened by pollution but conservation improving. Recommended: El Nido and Calamianes Group."

The islands in the top 5 are:

1. Faero Islands, Denmark - 87
2. Azores, Portugal - 84
3. Lofoten, Norway; Shetland Islands, Scotland; Chiloe, Chile - 82
4. Isle of Skye, Scotland - 81
5. Kangaroo Island, South Australia - 80

Other Asian islands on the list are:

21. Jeju (Cheju), South Korea - 64
23. Lombok, Indonesia - 62
24. Maldives - 61
27. Bali, Indonesia - 57
37. Phuket, Thailand - 46 "Ugly buildings, pollution, sex tourism all back in place after the 2004 tsunami. Original charm as a beautiful, unspoiled and culturally rich destination has been completely lost."

And Boracay? It's not on the list. :)

Other lists from different travel magazines and websites are usually voted in by the readers and/or travellers. National Geographic's list is more credible.

Congratulations Palawan!

^^Not surprised at all. I have seen it with my own eyes! The heartening thing is the dedication of the locals not to repeat the mistakes of the past. They are planting trees and mangroves everywhere they were once stripped, and protecting the corals. Kudos!:banana:

Bump :devil:


..

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:carrot::cucumber::pepper:From SSC-Iloilo:carrot::cucumber::pepper:

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Banyan Tree to build two resorts in Palawan
Sunday, 13 January 2008

Banyan Tree HoldingsSingapore-based Banyan Tree Holdings Ltd. is putting up a pair of luxury hotel-resorts in Palawan at a cost of $70 million.

The hotel and resort developer has decided to build in the islands of Coron and Dumaran, each of which would have Banyan Tree’s signature pool villas and multi-award winning spa services. The project is expected to be completed by 2010.

Dumaran is a 55-hectare island surrounded by stretches of white-sand beach. It is 15 minutes away by speedboat from the thriving town of Coron, which is accessible from Manila through daily scheduled flights.

The company said the islands would remain pristine and secluded and retain their ambience, characteristics that are attractive to tourists and that would make the islands premier Banyan destinations. Banyan Tree officials led by executive chair Ho Kwon Ping and accompanied by its Philippine partner Salvador Zamora II, Tourism Secretary Joseph Durano and former finance secretary Jose Isidro Camacho made a courtesy call on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in Malacañang on Nov. 14.

Ho said to the President, “We are very happy to inform you that we will proceed with our planned investment despite the recent happenings in your country.”

He was referring to the Oct. 22 explosion at Glorietta 2 and the Nov. 13 bomb attack at the House of Representatives.

“Bird flu, SARS and tsunami are far bigger problems than incidental acts of violence,” Ho said. “Our long-term investment plan is to operate an integrated chain of hotels and resorts in the country as what we did in other countries. We believe that this country has the potential to compete not only in the region but also throughout the world.”

When fully completed, the integrated chain would cost from $700 million to $800 million and employ as many as 8,000 Filipinos.

Banyan Tree operates in India, Indonesia, China, Maldives and Seychelles. It runs a chain of hotels and resorts in Vietnam and Thailand. In Thailand it has seven hotels that directly employ 4,000 people.

Banyan Tree, which had invested before in the Philippines, considered returning to the country and looking for investment opportunities here after its officials met with President Arroyo during her state visit to Singapore in November 2006.

Giving an assessment of the country’s tourism industry, Ho said, “The potential is superb. This country has excellent food, natural resources and culture. The country already has infrastructure that is way ahead of its Asian neighbors, but still road, airport and seaport improvements are needed.”

The Department of Tourism assisted the company in choosing Palawan as the best location for its venture.

http://www.philippine-builder.com/content/view/198/40/

A visit to the Spratlys (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/jan/22/yehey/opinion/20080122opi1.html)

At least six countries—the Philippines included—are claimants to the whole or parts of the Spratly Islands.

The other claimants are Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, China and Malaysia.

The archipelago comprises more than 100 islets, reefs and atolls, a total landmass of approximately five square kilometers or two square miles, scattered across 800,000 square kilometers of the South China Sea.

The disputed islands are a potential powder keg or an opportunity for cooperation and joint development. Analysts are viewing the plan of the Taiwanese president to visit an island as interesting but provocative, especially from China’s perspective.

Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian is planning a visit reportedly to underscore Taipei’s claim. The trip comes before the presidential polls on March 22 ostensibly to build support for Frank Hsieh, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s candidate in the election. The party leans toward independence from Beijing, which claims Taiwan as its province.

Beijing and Taipei claim the entire chain. Citing history and previous occupation, China has said that the Spratlys are a major part of China’s territorial sovereignty.

According to the Taipei-based United Daily News, Chen, who retires in May after eight years in office, plans to visit Taiping Islet, the biggest island in the Spratlys, on an Air Force C-130. The Taiwan presidential spokesman would not confirm the visit, according to an Agence France-Presse report.

The paper added that since F-16s could not fully protect Chen during his trip, which is some 1,600 kilometers from Kaohsiung City, the navy would send a fleet, led by a Kidd-class destroyer, to the Spratlys.

The DPP suffered a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections on Jan. 12, with the major opposition Kuomintang winning 86 of 113 seats. Kuomintang is seeking rapprochement with the mainland.

The Philippine claim is an old one, beginning with the exploration of the group known as Kalayaan Islands by the late Admiral Tomas Cloma in the 1980s. The islands are part of Palawan province and elections are held there regularly. A Philippine Army detachment keeps watch on the territory.

Philippine and Chinese navies figured in near-showdowns after Beijing started building facilities on Mischief Reef and Scarborough Shoal in 1995. The Philippine government protested while a group of Filipino congressmen made a show of planting the Philippine flag on Scarborough.

Manila and Beijing have since agreed on a program of joint development and exploration as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations adopted a code of conduct to keep peace on the archipelago.

Actual naval combat has erupted between Chinese and Vietnamese forces, leading to the Vietnamese defeat and withdrawal.

The Spratlys are reputed to host considerable oil and natural gas deposits. The islands also occupy the major sealanes between East Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Hundreds of tankers and container vessels carrying oil, gas and goods use the sealanes daily.

The rivalry between China and Taiwan has ranged many fronts, including Beijing’s campaign to frustrate Taipei’s bid for membership in the United Nations and cutting off Taiwan’s diplomatic ties with about 25 countries. In reply, Taiwan has threatened to rename itself and to hold a referendum on Taiwan’s independence. Tension across the Straits has embroiled the United States, Japan, the Koreas and the Philippines.

Manila, which honors a one-China policy, looks forward to an easing of tensions and a resolution of the dispute. The fact that thousands of Filipinos work in Taiwan, the island’s proximity to Luzon, the huge Chinese population and its claims to the Spratlys are a big consideration. We are not casual bystanders in this drama.

Tubbataha Reef nominated in new 7 Wonders of the World (http://www.positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Tourism_24/Tubbataha_Reef_nominated_in_new_7_Wonders_of_the_World.shtml)

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Jan. 23 (PNA)-- The 96,000- hectare Tubbataha Reef, Asia’s best marine park, has been nominated as one of the seven new Wonders of the World.

Tubbataha, a reef ecosystem in the middle of the Sulu Sea, along with around a hundred other natural attractions across the continents have been selected and officially recognized last July 2007.

Alex Marcaida, an environmental advocate here, urged Filipinos to vote and give chances for Tubbaataha to make it to the top 21 finalist in the prestigious search for new world wonders.

He said Tubbataha’s “underwater world of wonders” is one of best few places on earth and it's worth voting for.

Seven nominees like Chichen Itza of Mexico, Christ Redeemer of Brazil, Colosseum of Italy, Taj Mahal of India, Great Wall of China, Petra of Jordan and Machu Picchue of Peru already garnered one million votes to represent global heritage throughout history.

Tubbataha declared as World Heritage Site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1993 and it has consistently generated P4 million pesos from dive tourism from January to December this year.

The reef, located some 182 kilometers (113 miles) southeast from this city, is home to 10, 000 coral reefs, 483 species of fish, two nesting species of marine turtles, nine species of marine mammals.

The reef’s islets are among the last breeding strongholds of seabirds in Southeast Asia.

Angelique Songco, park manager, said tourism income will be used for conservation, research and monioring and other park-related management job which pegged at P10 million annually.

Personnel of Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and other uniformed men in Western Command have also contributed to the conservation of Tubbataha through manpower and logistics support.

Tubbataha is reportedly contributed ecological value of P840 million every year in the country’s economy in terms of fisheries and tourism. (PNA)

^^ Cool! :okay: Any pics?

RP on Taiwan leader trip to Spratlys: Unfortunate
02/04/2008 | 03:36 PM

Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us The Philippines on Monday described as "unfortunate" the trip made by Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian to a disputed island in the South China Sea, expressing hope that such incident would not be repeated in the future.

"The ‘visit’ of the Taiwanese president to the Spratlys…is unfortunate. It does not do well relative to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," Lorelei Fajardo, deputy presidential spokesperson, said in a text message.

Foreign Affairs Sec. Alberto Romulo had earlier described the incident as "lamentable," warning that such could affect the peace and stability in the disputed region.

"The Philippines expresses serious concern over this reported development that works against the joint efforts by claimant countries in the South China Sea to achieve peace and stability in the region," Romulo had said.

Fajardo said Malacañang would "leave it to the DFA to handle the situation and act according to the provisions of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea."

"We must, however, stay with in bounds of neighborly understanding and hope that his unfortunate incident does not happen again," Fajardo said.

On Saturday, Chen Shui-bian became the first Taiwanese president to ever visit Taiping Island in the Sprtalys chain. He also met with troops there, said Lee Nan-yang, the president’s spokesman.

Believed to be rich in oil, gas and fish stocks, the Spratly Islands is being claimed in whole or in part by Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines. - GMANews.TV

http://www.gmanews.tv/story/79188/RP-on-Taiwan-leader-trip-to-Spratlys-Unfortunate

Actually we have plans of visiting Palawan this month, our first time. I hope the weather is just fine for touring. I am actually excited of the island hopping, wanna do lots of snorkeling. Can't wait!

By the way, does anybody here know the schedule of the masses celebrated in the Cathedral of Puerto? We are making our itinerary for the trip and we would like to attend mass on Sunday there. Please I hope you could help us. Thanks.

I just got back from vacation and spent a week in Palawan with my motorcycle in tow. The WG&A Superferry is the looooong way to go, taking 28 hours from Manila to Puerto Princesa.

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The ferry left Manila around 5pm and offered us a great view of the city as the ship head south.

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I might not look excited about the trip, but I really am..... really!

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Twelve hours later, I woke up to see this beautiful sight.... Coron.

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For the rest of the day, this is what most passengers did.

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Looking at sights like these.

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Around 8pm, the ferry finally arrives at Puerto Princesa. What a welcome sight to see the lights of the city. After an hour of brain damage dealing with port authorities, I am at one with my Africa Twin and we find refuge at a local hotel.

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The next day, I head north to check out the underground river of Sabang. Halfway there, the road turns into dirt.

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I have to hire a boat to reach the mouth of the underground river or walk about an hour over the monkey trail. These guys will do it for 700 pesos per boat.

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Twenty minutes later, we are there.

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The locals are more than happy to see me. Quick quiz. How many Bayawaks and monkeys are there in the picture?

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Answer: 4 Bayawaks and 2 monkeys (baby with mom). Some will pose for close ups.

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I got assigned to a group of Chinese tourists from Hong Kong and we all got into this boat that will take us to the underground river. The green helmet and orange life jacket is the fashion statement for the day. According to the boatman, the helmet is to protect the hanging rocks in case we bump our heads against it.

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This is the mouth of the river.

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The underground river is over 8 kilometers long, snaking deep into the mountains, but we only go 2.5 kilometers inside. I take the front of the boat and turned on the car battery operated light as we enter the mouth of the underwater river. Inside is pure darkness. We turned the light off for a brief moment and there is nothing to see. Duh! A sense of claustrophobia takes over me, so quickly I switch the light back on. Whew! If this battery fails, we might be stuck here for the next month or so. Rock formation inside depicts different images. There’s a roman candle. A nativity scene. Hull of a ship. A shark.

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Bats are the constant companion here, but they are asleep. They hang in every nook and cranny of the ceiling. “Look up but keep your mouth closed,” says out boatman. “That stuff dripping from the ceiling is not always water.” Given the darkness of the cave, I wonder how the bats can tell when it is nighttime outside, the time when they go out to look for food. The 'barangay captain bat' probably has an alarm clock that goes off at 6 p.m. He yells at the rest of the bats to wake them up and off they go to the local insect buffet. Swallows also inhabits the caves. They chirp as they maneuver through the darkness, using sound to bounce off rock walls.

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We paddle along for over two kilometers inside the cave. There are six more to go, but this is as far as we go so we turn around. The tour inside the underground river took nearly an hour. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel is not a figure of speech here, but a welcome reality.

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Thanks for sharing your pics Mr. Ybardolaza! :okay:

I got assigned to a group of Chinese tourists from Hong Kong and we all got into this boat that will take us to the underground river. The green helmet and orange life jacket is the fashion statement for the day. According to the boatman, the helmet is to protect the hanging rocks in case we bump our heads against it.

This just made my day. :lol:

Its my pleasure, tracymack. I'll post some more tomorrow. Bedtime...

Wow, thanks for sharing this sir!! It's something I would want to do in the future....

I left Puerto Princesa two days later and headed north to Fort Barton. The road north to Roxas is a beautiful piece of work. There are ocean vistas to the right and mountains to the left. In between are small towns full of people to watch. The road is empty of vehicles most of the time. I noticed that most don’t use their horns here. Nobody gets upset. They are just more laid back than city folks. Nice.

Rode past the Fort Barton exit and half a kilometer later, I realize what I thought I read and turned back to take the exit. This road has no pretensions, it is dirt road from the start. I ask a group of young students how far is it to Fort Barton. Approximately 14 kilometers. Trying to get a better estimation of road conditions, I ask how long will it take to ride a tricycle there? “Sir, no tricycles can make it there.” Uh oh! Do I hear alarm bells ringing inside my head?

Soon, I'm up to my eyeballs in mud.

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Then the bike gets stuck in mud.

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Fortunately, a father and son on a bike came along and helped me get the bike unstuck. I thought I would have to spend the night with my bike in the middle of the jungle.

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In town, I find out what the fuss is all about. Check out the glass smooth bay and relaxing view from the back of Summer Homes, where a room can be had for 450 pesos.

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Surprisingly, there are Europeans everywhere, walking around in backpacks, hanging off jeepneys, eating pancakes at local restaurants.

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Above is Walther. He is from Germany, but he has lived in Fort Barton for over 20 years. He is fluent with Tagalog. It is amazing how interesting it sounds when spoken with a German accent.

Another day, another destination - El Nido.

Along the way, I see all kinds of interesting sights. Below is one man's definition of a castle.

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Past Roxas, the beautiful ribbon of cement deteriorates to dirt. One thing to appreciate is the amount of work being done on the road. Bridges are being fixed or built, cement is being laid – thick ones that would last more than a dozen rainy seasons. Potholes (on dirt roads) are being filed and rough roads are being graded. It is good to see the government spending money on infrastructure that will help develop the island in the long run.


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An hour from Taytay, I see the towering profiles of limestone rocks that tell me I’m close to El Nido.

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^^ wonderful photographs! great adventure!

^^ wonderful photographs! great adventure!

Thanks Chocolato!

El Nido is a compact little town where it seems like everybody knows each other. There's a lot of businesses that caters to the tourist, but it still feels quaint with a touch of innocence.

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I stayed at El Nido Hotel with this view from my window.

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Skipped the island hopping trips for the future and spend most of my time riding the top of the peninsula.

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Living in America, I see chicken and pork only when they are ready to eat. Here in Palawan, they take on a different image.

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Met this group of 1st year high school students digging on the side of the road for some dirt. The boys are more open to questions, while the girls are naturally shy.

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On my way back to Puerto Princesa, I decided to make a stop at the former capital of Palawan. At the end of town is a treasure.

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A 300+ year old Spanish fort made of rock, Fuerza De Santa Isabel. According to the brochure provided by the caretaker, the Spanish built the fort to defend itself from the invading Moros from the south. These Moro pirates from Sulu “hide from the mask of piracy to fight the spread of Spanish colonization and the growth of Christianity. The Spanish occupation was also a threat to the long standing trade relationship among the Moros, Chinese, Malaysians and the local inhabitants.” Some things just never change. Religion and commerce always get in the way to peaceful co-existence.

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Continuing on…… “From 1730 to 1739 Datu Bigotillo and 3,800 Moro pirates were sent by Maulana-Diafar Sabiesa, the Sultan of Jolo to take over the Fortress of Taytay. The fort was a colossal obstacle in their piratical forays.

The Fort is roughly quadrilateral with bastions and garitas at the corners. Each bastion is named after San Toribio, Sta. Isabel, San Juan and San Manuel. The fort was molded and wrought out of the contour of a solid rock, it is a magnificent edifice that stands as a lasting symbol of a rich historical heritage.

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Don Geronimom Sundillon was the first hero of Taytay. During the 21 day siege posted by the Moro pirates in 1739, Sundillon was captured. The pirates asked him to point the secret passage of the fort, but instead, exposed the pirates to the fort sentries, thus curtailing their plan of a surprised attack. Bigotillo, thinking he was betrayed by Sundillon, commanded his me to torture him. He died as a martyr and saved the local inhabitants and the Spanish people from further aggression.

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During the siege of the Moro pirates, the legend of Santa Monica, the patron saint, dressed in white garment, her identity unknown, advised them to boil water and fat extracted from the slaughtered cows and carabaos. It was poured down on the scaling pirates causing the walls to be slippery and scalding the marauders as well. It sent the attackers to their surrender. They re-embarked and sail back to Jolo, never to bother the Taytayanos.”

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While touring the fort, I asked the woman cutting the front lawn for advice on where I can stay. She points up and down. There are two competing places where one can stay. For a better view, I chose the lodging on top of the hill. Casa Rosa it is. Getting there is the challenge. On a big Africa Twin, it was quite a handful trying to negotiate up the narrow walkway to reach the site. But it was well worth it. A small cottage is priced at 900 pesos.

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These two are also enjoying the view.

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El Nido is a compact little town where it seems like everybody knows each other. There's a lot of businesses that caters to the tourist, but it still feels quaint with a touch of innocence.

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I wouldn't mind having a huge rock like this in my backyard. :lol:

I wouldn't mind having a huge rock like this in my backyard. :lol:

Funny you said that. While buying a pair of slippers from a local merchant, he tells me that there are millions of pesos hidden inside those towering rocks. The first thought that comes to me is another Japanese hidden treasure legend. Rene the merchant snaps me out of the thought by saying, “Birds Nest.” He says local climbers scale the steep limestone rocks in search of bird’s nest. They are paid a few hundred pesos per kilo by middle men who in turn sell it to Manila for thousands.

Great pictures and narration Rene, I thought I was reading National Geographic. :okay: Thanks for sharing! You are making me really plan a side-trip to Palawan on my next visit to Manila.

Funny you said that. While buying a pair of slippers from a local merchant, he tells me that there are millions of pesos hidden inside those towering rocks. The first thought that comes to me is another Japanese hidden treasure legend. Rene the merchant snaps me out of the thought by saying, “Birds Nest.” He says local climbers scale the steep limestone rocks in search of bird’s nest. They are paid a few hundred pesos per kilo by middle men who in turn sell it to Manila for thousands.

It's too bad locals get ripped off by these businessmen. This has been featured in several TV documentaries already. The climbers risk their lives just to get paid a measly amount. :ohno:

Great pictures and narration Rene, I thought I was reading National Geographic. :okay: Thanks for sharing! You are making me really plan a side-trip to Palawan on my next visit to Manila.

Thanks neighbor. You can bet that we will all be doing more of these rediscovery tours when we are living locally three years from now.

Near the fort, this ghastly architectural nightmare towers over the town of Taytay.

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In search of internet access, I wandered all over town and met some interest folks.

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After a shower and a lunch of rice and garlic shrimp, I hopped back on the bike for more exploration. I went further south and found a sign pointing to Lake Danao, only three kilometers from the main road. I asked the man at a nearby hut for advice. How good/bad is the road? He says four wheel vehicles can make it there and my bike should be able to do it as well. This road is different from the others I’ve seen so far. The surface quality is better than the mud pits to Fort Barton, but it is used very little by vehicles. Leaves and vegetation covered most of the surface and a single track used by foot traffic is the best path for me to follow. There is thick, lush and impassable jungle on both sides of the road. I imagine that no one will find me here if I ran into problems. There is one small water crossing. As I negotiate my way through this road, the jungle opens up to show a little village in the middle of a small valley. The folks there were just as surprised to see me as I am to see them, but they wave to me with a smile.... always a good sign.

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Further down, the road continues to deteriorate until there is no place to go but the water. Next to the road is a small house where a couple of fishermen are cleaning the morning’s catch. A fat cat is there to enjoy the mess. A woman is washing clothes further down as she keeps an eye on a small child playing near the water. The fishermen assure me that there is no more road to follow. There’s another village on the other side of the lake, but one can only get there by boat. I bid the men goodbye, but as I try to make a u-turn, I lost momentum and traction and the bike falls gently to the ground. Picking the beast up is not easy. One of the fishermen came to my rescue.

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Back in Taytay, I encounter a couple of riders who I hope will graduate to the motorized version when they get older.

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When night falls, there is really not much to do in a small provincial town like Taytay. The internet becomes a place of refuge and entertainment. Thanks to satellite link.

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Back at Casa Rosa, as I get ready for my nightly bout with the computer, I sprayed mosquito repellent all over my exposed skin and the wet greasy feeling spreads all over me. As I close the wooden blinds to minimize the noise from the town below, a three inch long flying cockroach comes in to say hello. He lands on the mosquito net where I gave him a quick flick back out of the window. There is a lot of racket going on outside. The bugs are in full choir tonight. There is not much to do but sleep and relax. As enjoyable as it may sound, too much of this good thing can get boring quickly.

Power went out unexpectedly for an hour. When the lights came back on, I get to see some of the critters that came in to share my little cottage. I didn’t know I had arachnophobia until I saw a spider the size of a small hand scamper from the wall and into the bottom of my bed. No amount of bug spray or banging of the broom can convince him to come out and face me man-to-spider. I guess I’ll have to depend on the false security of my mosquito net to keep these critters at bay. I just hope nothing bigger and slithery comes in uninvited later on.

As I lay in bed, listening to nature outside, I think about what life of comfort can do to a person. I look back twenty odd years ago when I served in the U.S. Army.... sleeping in the jungle, hearing the same sound, was another life and another man.

^^ OH WHAT A GREAT POST, Great storytelling, THanks

BRAVO

^^
Thanks dancethingy. I figure I gain so much enjoyment from reading the contribution of others, that its my turn to put in my two cents and share some of the beauty in our country.

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All night, the winds blew, strong but not the damaging type. Curled up underneath the mosquito net, I felt safe and warm. I did not see my friend Mr. Spider any more. In the morning, I shook all the clothes and checked the shoes and bags to make sure I didn't have any hitchhikers. No one at Casa Rosa was awake when I left at 7am.

On the road in the early morning, it is nice to see kids walking to school in their crisp and clean uniforms. Some farmers are already tilling the soil while others are walking the side of the road on their way to punch the invisible time clock. I slow down whenever there are people to avoid stirring up a lot of dust. No matter how friendly the folks are the long machetes that almost everyone here carries, instinctively makes me want to give them a wide berth.

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In smooth sections of the road, I see 60-70 on the speedometer most of the time with clouds of dust billowing up behind me like a small storm. This dust becomes a real risk when opposing traffic, like a bus, turns my vision to near zero preventing any way of seeing what’s behind that bus, if any. All I can do is slow down to a crawl and move farthest to the right until the dust settles. Sometimes, I take the turn a little on the fast side and the rear tire steps out and tries to get ahead of the front. Sideways at 60 is not fun when you're not expecting it.

Another cause for concern are the animals on the road. Different kinds and the exotic ones are too fast for me to take a picture.

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In comparison to the El Nido–Taytay route, the 70 kilometers from Taytay to Roxas is a lot rougher. The dirt is not as smooth and there’s also a lot of road building construction along the way. Almost everything is done by hand except for the truck cement mixers. I estimate that it will take at least a couple of years before the road from Roxas to Taytay is complete. The stretch to El Nido will be next. I reached Roxas two hours later and Puerto Princesa is another 120 kilometers away. This last stretch is all cement, beautiful and smooth all the way.

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By lunch time, I’m back at The Legend Hotel. The place is packed with college students from Letran. My room comes with free meals and the staff in the restaurant provides really good service. My last meal was lunch yesterday so I was really hungry when I arrived. The meals here are one of the best I’ve tasted.

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The bed looks really tempting, but some housekeeping needs to be done. That afternoon, I took the Africa Twin to the local Shell station to get a much needed wash. The cost is eighty pesos to do all of that hard work. They have a power washer to speed up the job. A van comes in to get some maintenance done. The driver says they clean the air filter everyday or else the engine will not last. He agrees to what I was told earlier. There’s high silica content in the dust, which is very abrasive and causes lots of wear and tear to moving parts in addition to the engine, like brake pads and rotors.

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Puerto Princesa is a busy capital town of Palawan. I hear Tagalog spoken here more than any other dialect. There’s Jolibee in the center of town, but no McDonalds yet. The banks have ATMs. Load up on the cash before heading out of town because most places accept only cash and there are no ATMs out there.

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Back at the hotel, I play catch up with work that is piling up at home. It’s amazing how much work can be done through the internet. Today, I helped process payroll and pay taxes back home 8,000 miles across the Pacific.

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Each day I stay here, the more I get to appreciate the restaurant staff. Since I didn’t have time to go down and eat dinner, I ordered room service for a halo-halo. The halo-halo arrives but the server insists that I eat my dinner that comes free with the room. "It is already prepared," the server insist. "I have too much work so I can't go down to the restaurant," I argue. "Sir, we can deliver it to your room." That's customer service. No additional persuasion needed. Dinner is served.

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Sunday

This is my last day in Palawan. The ship leaves at 8:45 a.m. so I check out of the hotel early. Since I dropped off the Africa Twin at the pier yesterday, James, the tricycle driver I befriended yesterday is waiting for me as he promised at 7 a.m. to take me to the port.

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WG&A check-in is easier here. There is still the x-ray machine, body frisking and bomb sniffing dogs, but nobody asked me to deposit my tools for safekeeping like before. Armed military is here to show force. The Africa Twin is parked on the pier along with other vehicles that are waiting for entry to the ship’s hold.

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Inside the ship, I settle down and walk the upper decks again to enjoy the interaction with people on board. A different spin here are the coin diving families who parked themselves on the side of the ship. Father, mother, children, including babies are all in their boats yelling words of encouragement to passengers to throw coins for them to dive and retrieve. What is amazing is their lack of skill at catching coins from mid-air. They are generally better at diving for the coins than catching the coin before it lands in the water. Maybe at this height, catching coins could be a painful proposition. This is a tough way to make a living. Starvation or most likely, drowning will be my reward if I make this career change.

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Suddenly, half of the group began paddling rapidly away from our ship. I look up and see another ship backing into dock. Another opportunity to make a living is coming in the form of Montenegro Lines.

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There are two environments to manage while in the ship. The stateroom is freezing cold while the deck is warm and humid. My room this time does not have a window so I parked myself at the dining room where it is open and windows abound. Segregation is again noticeable here.

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Passengers in the cabin and stateroom have a separate dining area from the other passengers in the ship. I check out what is being served in their dining area and I find it much more appetizing. Lower price also. Another thing I noticed is the absence of napkins. I must be a messy eater because I’m always asking for one. I look across my table and I see another diner wiping his mouth with the palm of his hand and wiping the hand on his shorts. Ahhhh! That’s the trick.

The ship makes landfall in Coron at 10:30pm. The ship’s crew wakes me up to ask if I’m getting off. No thanks, Manila is the destination. Sleep interrupted, I lie awake for the next two hours watching a PBA game. These guys from Alaska and Sta. Lucia are quite good at three-point shots.

That's my short (or long) story of my trip to Palawan. I share it with y'all hoping that it will inspire some of you to visit this beautiful region of the Philippines.

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Oooopppps. I did another side trip, but I need to find the Corregidor thread where I can post pictures like this one below. That's me yelling something incomprehensible.

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That's my short (or long) story of my trip to Palawan. I share it with y'all hoping that it will inspire some of you to visit this beautiful region of the Philippines.

Appreciate you sharing your experience with us Mr. Ybardolaza. We're definitely going to Palawan later this year. :)

it reminds of che guevara's motorcycle diaries!

:banana:.....Nice Sojourn Sir Rene.......10 star....:cheers1:

Rene, I tip my hat to you. Your adventure and narration of events inspire one to travel and explore.

Thanks for the kind and generous words!

Hey thanks Rene. We are going to Palawan this weekend. Your posts really help our trip planning.

hello spratly thread

And now, the Carandang Report. Spratlys is equal to ZTE Broadband scandal.

GMA: RP to meet deadline on Spratlys claim (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Local%20News&p=54&type=2&sec=2&aid=2008030471)

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 10:00 PM

President Arroyo today said the government would meet the deadline in formalizing its claim over part of the Spratly Islands.

The deadline next year has been set under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

China, the Philippines and Vietnam have laid claims on the group of islands in the South China Sea. Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan have also claimed these in whole or in part.

Yesterday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo defended the conduct of a seismic survey around the disputed islands, saying it did not violate a declaration on the conduct of claimants.

For his part, detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV filed a resolution in the Senate seeking a probe into an alleged secret deal with the Chinese government involving the Spratlys.

RP prepares to claim Spratlys (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83348/RP-prepares-to-claim-Spratlys-other-contested-areas)

MANILA, Philippines - will formally claim some contested areas that it considers part of its exclusive economic zone before the May 2009 deadline set by the United Nations.

The National Security Council on Tuesday met to discuss the matter in a bid to define in detail the country’s jurisdiction and to enable it to use the resources found in the contested areas.

"We shall advance the rights and interests of our nation in harnessing these rich resources," President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said in a speech Tuesday in Malacañang.

Former Justice secretary and Solicitor General Estelito P. Mendoza, a lawyer of ousted President Joseph E. Estrada, has agreed to help the administration back up the country’s territorial claim.

"We appreciate that former secretary of Justice Estelito Mendoza has lent his unrivaled expertise in this field to help strengthen the Philippine claim on this very valuable portion of our national patrimony," Mrs. Arroyo said.

Among the contested areas being claimed by the Philippines are the Kalayaan Islands Group (Spratlys), Sabah, the Benham Rise, and other Expanded Continental Shelf (ECS) areas.

The Kalayaan Islands are also being claimed by China, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Sabah is also being claimed by Malaysia.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS), every country is given 200 nautical miles that would make up its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Each country possesses sovereign rights over the resources under its EEZ.

The Philippines needs to enact the law to affirm its commitment to the UNCLOS, which it ratified in 1982.

The international treaty states that signatory countries should define their territorial sea and internal waters.

However, no such measure is included in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council list of priority bills.

Earlier, Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap warned that the country’s claim to the ECS may be forfeited if Congress fails to craft a law that will legitimize and strengthen the country’s stake on the baselines before the May 2009 deadline.

He noted that the ECS areas are rich in fishery and mineral resources.

^^I hope things end up in favor of the Philippines.

the philippines should hasten its next move in spratlys. there is a very high probability that the pro china party (KMT) in taiwan would win come this march 22 presidential election. And if they win we know what it means. Taiwan would embrace again China therefore all its claims would belong to china also. So i hope our politician would instead seriously focus and look on this matter as a very urgent case. Stop the stupid debates and rallies and instead focus on our defense in spratlys againts china. China is very hungry and will do anything to occupy and attain resources. It will use any means be it diplomatic or not to legitimize its claim. So i hope our country would unite and prevent this very serious scenario.

Tatad says Spratly issue could spark regional conflict (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Local%20News&p=54&type=2&sec=2&aid=2008030726)

Friday, March 7, 2008 01:33 PM

The controversy on the reported joint agreement in the disputed Spratly Island is a serious constitutional issue that may affect the sovereign of the country and could spark a regional conflict, a former senator said today.

Former Senator Francisco Tatad told reporters during the weekly Balitaan sa Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City that the Spratly issue, which is now the subject of a new Senate probe, may have violated some provision of
the Constitution particularly on the exploitation of the country’s s natural resources.

“As of this time, there is no official document on the reported agreement. If there is such, then (it) is a serious constitutional issue”, he said.

Tatad said if its true that there was an agreement, then the Senate is on the right track to conduct its probe because all treaties and executive agreements must be ratified before its implementation.

“ The executive cannot hide any document, particularly those involving national security, “ he said.

The former senator said the Constitution is very specific that all mineral resources and its exploration belongs to the state and any intrusion could be covered by the Mutual Defense Treaty signed with the US. But the issue is complicated because the alleged intrusion is with consent from the Philippine government and may trigger the intervention of other Asian claimant countries which also have a stake in the disputed territory.

Tatad said under the Mutual Defense Agreement, the US may come into the picture when the sovereignty of the Philippines is under threat from external forces. He said however that current political development in the international arena, including the relationship of the US and China might also play vital role in the emerging issue.

ok, the corruption-ridden broadband project has revealed more details than what many of us have had initially expected - it is not only annoying, but is also indicative of the symptoms of an alarming state of corruption in the country. First, the project was overpriced not by a few million dollars margin, but a whooping 200M USD (it only involves the First Family, and the election commissioner - now think of the 2004 election). Secondly, the governments manipulation of the AFP, PNP, NBI, BIR, etc. is no denying, these people are supposed to be apolitical, but politics is all over them. Maybe it's right, money can buy everything, anything.
But how about buying a country? And selling a country? While the Jews and the Palestinian will do whatever it takes to reign over a piece of land, we are selling off our country to whoever who's willing to pay. How f*cked up is that? Yes, those are only islands, a small part of the country, but it is the country, it is who we are, and it tells so many things about us. And unfortunately, there are just those who are willing to do that - and they're not any terrorist, they are the very elected officials the people has voted for.
This is not an isolated case. Because you can come up with your own list if you like.

Spratly deal a repeat of disastrous Malampaya sale

MANILA, Philippines - A reported deal between the Philippine government and China on the joint exploration of the contested Spratly Islands may be a repeat of the government's sale of Malampaya, militant think tank IBON Foundation said Friday night.

IBON research head Sonny Africa said the Spratly deal violates the Constitution and threatens to have the Philippines on the economic losing end.

"This is the experience with the Malampaya natural gas project where foreigners disproportionately benefit from the country's natural gas resources," Africa said.

Africa said the $4.5-billion Malampaya Deepwater Gas-to-Power Project exploits some 3.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, or 95% of the country's proven such reserves.

But the project is 45% owned by Shell Philippines Exploration, 45% by Chevron-Texaco and only 10 percent by Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC).

Shell and Chevron-Texaco thus control virtually all of the country's natural gas and corner the largest share of benefits from its exploitation, he said.

"For their investment SPEX and Chevron-Texaco expect to get $14 billion back over 20 years, or P574 billion at current exchange rates.

As it is, Shell Philippines Exploration BV declared net income of P3.5 billion and Chevron Malampaya LLC of P7.5 billion in 2006, or a total of over P11 billion. The Department of Energy, in turn, declared Malampaya gas sales revenues of just P5.4 billion in 2006," Africa noted.

He said Shell and Chevron benefited from significant incentives under PD 87 of 1972 and Service Contract No. 38.

Both are allowed to deduct all operating and capital expense (not exceeding 70%) from gross income and are exempted from income tax, entitled to duty free importation and unrestricted entry of foreign personnel.

On the other hand, the government failed to negotiate any kind of meaningful technology transfer, meaning a perpetual reliance on foreign firms for exploitation of our energy resources.

"Such government neglect is to blame for the never-ending argument that foreign investment is needed for the expertise they bring. Foreign firms will always disproportionately benefit from the country's natural resources as long as they have this technological leverage," he said.

Africa noted the Malampaya project was officially inaugurated in October 2001, and remains the country's single largest foreign investment project in the country's history.

It was immediately criticized for violating the Constitutional limit on foreigners of 40% on exploration, development and utilization of natural resources.

- GMANews.TV

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RP knew Spratlys exploration ‘too close’ to Palawan

But revised map shows survey by China and Vietnam is still within Philippine waters

By MIRIAM GRACE A. GO

abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=111565)

Energy officials were aware as early as 2004 that the bilateral agreement they signed with China to explore the Spratlys for oil deposits covered an area that was within Philippine waters and should not have been allowed.

The tacit admission was made when they decided half a year later to revise the map annexed to the joint marine seismic undertaking (JMSU) pact, according to interviews with government officials privy to the agreement.

This became clear at the closed door meeting in Malacañang on Friday, when the Department of Energy presented a map that showed how clearly the area covered by the Philippines’ joint seismic survey with China and Vietnam is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak was shown the map presented to select members of the Cabinet led by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

The map, a revision of the one annexed to the pact with China, showed that the survey area still encroaches on the Philippines waters, and therefore violated local and international laws.

Perez, Mañalac Liable?

The new map served as the annex to the tripartite JMSU pact that was signed on March 14, 2005, and now included Vietnam.

The agreements were signed during the time of Energy Secretary Vince Perez, through the Philippine National Oil Company under president Eduardo Mañalac.

The original map, which was annexed to the bilateral pact between the Philippines and China signed half a year earlier, showed a survey area closer to Philippine territory. It was revised after a Cabinet official pointed out in 2004 that the original location targeted by the JMSU with China was "too close" to Palawan.

The revised map moved the 142,886-square-kilometer seismic survey area farther from Palawan toward the southwest.

Within Exclusive Zone

The new map shows that the new location is now slightly below the Malampaya exploration site, based on another map published earlier by the Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC), which signed the JMSU pact on behalf of the DOE. The map that PNOC made public in 2005 did not show the lines of the Philippines’ EEZ.

Still, the new survey area encroaches on Philippine waters.

With a line showing where 200 nautical miles from the Philippine territorial lines end on the new map, it was established that, still, around 80 percent of the 142,886-square kilometer area of the joint marine seismic undertaking (JMSU) is within Philippine waters.

The 200-nautical-mile EEZ was delineated by the Philippines under Presidential Decree 1599 of President Ferdinand Marcos and is acknowledged by the international community under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Weakened Claim

Legal and science experts we consulted said that it doesn’t matter if the survey area was moved a little farther from the original location; it still violated both local and international laws.

It was reported that Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, in a memo to President Arroyo, said that the "seismic work or pre-exploration activities," which the tripartite agreement allowed, "is not prohibited in the Constitution."

He also pointed out the agreement "does not delve into sovereignty issues."

The issue is not as simple as that, according to international law and diplomatic experts we consulted.

Worse, agreeing to the area covered by the JMSU, the Philippines derogated its sovereign rights over the area. They said that allowing China and Vietnam to operate within this EEZ effectively acknowledged that the area, already belonging to the Philippines, is disputed.

"The bottom line is, we have weakened our case [before the international court] because we are saying that the area is not exclusively ours," said a legal expert formerly with the Cabinet.

The Philippines is a claimant to a group of islands in the Spratlys. Its EEZ shows it as the country nearest the disputed area.

tsk tsk making me mad mad mad

nyhahaha this is the funniest conspiracy theory ever. I wonder how this issue will prosper. hahahahah...

^^ at least kahit papano may sense di tulad nung sa 9/11... :lol:

^^alam ko na. sususnod niyan ipoprobe na ng senate kung ibinenta na ni gma kaluluwa niya kay satan. sabi kasi daw ni Neri evil siya. ewannn...

^^ sabi ni Sec Gonzalez, hwag na lang daw pakialaman...


Gonzalez: 3 trillion cubic feet of gas at stake in Spratly deal
03/09/2008 | 08:33 AM

MANILA, Philippines - A controversial seismic exploration deal will help the Philippines go after some three trillion cubic feet of natural gas and oil in its claimed portion of the hotly contested Spratly Islands.

On this note, Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez, who claimed the information came from the Philippine National Oil Company, called Sunday for a stop to questions regarding the deal.

"I understand there are three trillion cubic feet of oil found already. That is bigger than Malampaya> Much, much bigger. It will really boost our national economy," Gonzalez told dzBB radio in an interview.

"Dapat sana huwag na nating debatehin masyado para sa kabutihan ng Pilipinas (We should stop debating on this, because this is for the good of the Philippines)," he added.

Though he did not elaborate, Gonzalez said the PNOC got its information from a British corporation.

Gonzalez also said the Philippines will not be financially capable of funding a huge exploration project. Besides, he said, a seismic survey cannot be considered an exploration yet.

"Don't call it exploration, it's a seismic survey," Gonzalez stressed.

On the other hand, he said this should stop debates surrounding the controversial agreement with China and Vietnam on the Spratly Islands.

Senators have sought an investigation into the controversial deal despite Gonzalez insistence no exploration has been conducted yet.

"If we end up in exploration, the company that will do the exploration must be 60% owned by Filipinos, or we can enter into service contracts," Gonzalez said.

He also insisted the deal is not a basis for impeachment against President Arroyo, saying there is "no culpable violation, the president did not even sign that."

Gonzalez added that just gathering data is not exploration, and that the president can enter into any agreement for exploration and exploitation of these natural resources, "provided these are private groups, the private groups must be 60% Filipino owned."

Besides, he said that after the survey, the parties that signed the deal will go back to their respective governments for approval.

Gonzalez also said former Senate president Franklin Drilon, also a former Justice secretary, is partly to blame as well for the signing of the tripartite agreement in 2004.

He said then Energy secretary Vicente Perez raised concerns about the deal with President Arroyo, who in turn consulted a legal opinion made by Drilon in 1990.

The Drilon opinion had favored an exploration pact between the Philippines and Australia for a seismic project.

"After she was confronted by the Drilon opinion and na-settle ang aspect na yan, if they find anything there, they will go back to their respective governments. Kung may makita sila mermaid, kasali yan (They consulted the Drilon opinion and settled for that aspect. So if the signatories find anything there, they will go to their respective governments, even if it's a mermaid)," Gonzalez said in jest. - GMANews.TV (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83938/Gonzalez-3-trillion-cubic-feet-of-gas-at-stake-in-Spratly-deal)

Geez, I wonder why the involvement of Jun Lozada and Joey De Venecia on the ZTE-NBN mess was not mentioned when the evidence against them is proven to be sound. Listen to:

http://www.patriots4truth.blogspot.com

Secondly, that all allegations against the first family are dubious and hearsays and that it was the president who canceled the deal herself.

Also,

I want to make it clear that it was again no other than Joe De Venecia (2nd) that brokered the Spratly Deal.


JDV: Spratlys deal a good 'political settlement'
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storyPage.aspx?storyId=111499

Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. on Friday lashed out at former Senate President Franklin Drilon for saying that he pressured then Presidential Legal Counsel Merceditas Gutierrez into endorsing the "Spratlys deal" or the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) in the South China Sea between the Philippines, China and Vietnam.

De Venecia told ANC said it was Gutierrez who sought his opinion regarding the agreement, and he agreed with "this political settlement in South China Sea."

De Venecia pointed out that the JMSU has prevented war among the claimants in the South China Sea, which is believed to be rich in oil or gas.

He added that the trilateral agreement would help address increasing prices of petroleum products.

"Imagine, kung ang langis nandoon sa loob ng China, e di makikinabang tayo. Kung ang langis nasa loob ng Vietnam, makikinabang tayo. Kung ang langis nasa loob ng Pilipinas, e di makikinabang sila," he said.

He called on President Arroyo and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo to divulge the contents of the agreement, saying "if they have nothing to hide, why don’t they reveal it and show it."

If he would be investigated with regard to the agreement, as suggested by Drilon, De Venecia said the former Senate president should also be probed for allegedly brokering the airport deal in Drilon's home province of Iloilo.

In an earlier ANC interview, Drilon said Gutierrez, now Ombudsman, sought his help on how to justify the draft of the trilateral agreement.

"She (Gutierrez) was under tremendous pressure to give her consent to the proposed agreement with China covering Spratlys as she was being pressured by then Speaker Jose de Venecia," he said.

Drilon said Gutierrez also expressed her fear that the agreement’s approval would be grounds for the President Arroyo to be impeached.

"She said that under the terms of the agreement, it would open the President to an impeachment case," Drilon said.

The former Senate President, however, noted that when he advised Gutierrez to see him again and present to him a draft of the agreement, she never returned.

Drilon said Gutierrez, at that time, approached him and sought his help to ward off the pressure from De Venecia.

Drilon suspected that the signing of the agreement would be grounds for impeachment because it entails China's "intrusion" in the Philippines' territorial waters.

The "Spratlys deal" between the Philippines, China, and Vietnam, abs-cbnNEWS.com/ Newsbreak learned, has been put on hold due to legal issues and scandals involving Chinese-funded projects.

A former member of the Arroyo Cabinet, speaking to abs-cbnNEWS.com/ Newsbreak on condition of anonymity, said the three countries in the so-called "Spratlys deal"—the Philippines, China, and Vietnam—have "effectively set it aside for another year."


Kampi sees JdV hand in China deal
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics3_mar8_2008

Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte has called on the Lower House leadership to investigate what role Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr. played in the 2004 “Spratlys deal” between the Philippines and China.

Villafuerte, president of the President Arroyo’s Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino party, made an amended motion to include De Venecia in the Spratly’s deal probe after Parañaque City Rep. Roilo Golez moved to have the issue investigated by the chamber during plenary debates Tuesday night.

“He’s [De Venecia ] the one who said he brokered this particular agreement in many statements and press release. He was proud of this agreement,” Villafuerte told the plenary.

During interpellation, Golez advised Villafuerte to reconsider his motion “because we still don’t know where this will lead to.”

In his privilege speech Tuesday, Golez said the Spratlys is believed to contain oil reserves of around 200 billion barrels which at present oil price level would translate to around $20 trillion.

“The Spratlys have long been considered a resource-rich area and Philippine claims must be zealously defended,” he said.

The issue of the alleged “sellout” of Philippine sovereign rites over the Spratly Island cropped up after Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño questioned the House leadership for the dilly-dallying in the approval of a bill that would include the Spratly’s group of islands under the country’s territory.

During Wednesday night’s session, Casiño challenged the House leadership to immediately approve House Bill 3216 on third reading to dispel any suspicion that the government had entered into an anomalous deal with China on the Spratlys. Romie Evangelista, Alena Mae Flores

*********



Golez urges JDV to tell all in Spratlys deal
03/07/2008 | 10:42 AM
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/83737/Golez-urges-JDV-to-tell-all-in-Spratlys-deal

MANILA, Philippines - House Deputy Minority Leader Roilo Golez on Friday called on former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr to "tell all" about the government's agreement with other countries over conduct in the Spratlys island group.

In particular, Golez said De Venecia should shed light on hints that the agreement was an "exchange deal where art of Philippine patrimony has been exchanged for several juicy commission from multi-billion dollar projects" from China.

"Former Speaker Jose de Venecia should tell everything that he knows about the origins and background of the Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in the Agreement Area in the South China Sea signed March 14, 2005, especially his role in the initiation, negotiation and signing of the agreement," Golez said in a statement.

"He should explain whether there is truth to the insinuation that there is a link between this agreement and China's soft loan facility of $2billion a year for controversial and allegedly overpriced projects like Northrail, Southrail, ZTE-NBN, CyberEd, etc. and this was actually an exchange deal where part of Philippine patrimony has been exchanged for several juicy commission from multi-billion dollar projects," he added.

Also, Golez said De Venecia should name other government officials who "intervened" for the signing of the agreement, saying Malacañang likely would have had a hand there.

"The former speaker must clarify if there were other top officials who intervened because, knowing the decision-making process for deals of this nature, I cannot believe that the Speaker alone can swing this without Malacañang's approval," he added.

In the statement, Golez welcomed efforts from a fellow congressman demanding De Venecia to explain the matter. "I am happy that no less than administration stalwart congressman Luis Villafuerte demanded that former Speaker De Venecia be invited to explain his role," Golez said.

For his part, Cabinet Secretary Ricardo Saludo criticized former Senate President Franklin Drilon for disclosing that Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, when she was still President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s chief legal counsel, was worried that the agreement would be in violation of the Constitution and may be basis for President Arroyo's impeachment.

"Topnotch lawyers like former Justice Sec. Drilon know how to rest the validity of any agreement. Not by citing hearsay, but by raising the matter in the Supreme Court. Why does the opposition keep resorting to press statements and partisan hearings? Is it afraid of impartial due process?" Saludo asked. - GMANews.TV

^^o ayan nagtuturuan na sila. lovely... :lol:

wala na kasi binenta na daw spratly kapalit ng zte-broadband tsaka southrail wahahahaha.... ano na naman kayang conspiracy theory lalabas sa susunod? :lol:

OMG. This better turn out great for the Philippines... I'm so tired of stupid politicians. It's like we're always doing everything wrong.

Controversial Spratly Deals Cover Six Islands Occupied by Philippines (http://www.pinoypress.net/2008/03/10/six-spratly-islands-occupied-by-philippines-covered-in-controversial-deals/)

Published on March 10, 2008 at 9:34 am

By YVONNE T. CHUA and ELLEN TORDESILLAS
VERA Files

MANILA — Six islands occupied by the Philippines in the disputed Spratly Islands Group are covered by two controversial joint seismic monitoring agreements among the Philippines, China and Vietnam that have come under fire for purportedly “sacrificing” Philippine interests in exchange for huge loans from Beijing.

Based on coordinates provided in the annex to both agreements, the agreement area includes Patag (Flat), Lawak (Nanshan), Parola (Northeast Cay), Panata (Lankiam Cay), Kota (Loaita) and Likas (West York) islands occupied by the Philippine military.

The agreement also covers 24,000 square kilometres of undisputed Philippine territory.

The area’s easternmost edge is around 25 kilometers from the southern tip of Palawan. At its northern boundary, the area abuts the Malampaya oil field and includes an area the Philippines had long awarded to a British company for oil exploration.

http://www.pinoypress.net/uploads/2008/03/10/spratlys3.jpg
The six Philippine-occupied islands in the Spratlys

Of the total 142,886 kilometers, around 24,000 square kilometers clearly belong to the Philippines and fall outside the areas in the Spratlys which are claimed either in whole or in part by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia and Brunei.

The area also swallows almost 80 percent of the Kalayaan Group which the Philippines claims.

The Spratly island itself, which serves as the island group’s main reference point, is at the westernmost area covered by the agreement and about 700 kilometers from Palawan.

The 142,886-square-kilometer study area also covers Itu Aba, the largest island in the disputed group of islands and the only one claimed and held by Taiwan, a non-signatory to the 2004 agreement.

Known as Tai Ping Island to Taipei, Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian inaugurated Feb. 3 a 1,150-meter-long runway on the island, drawing protests from Philippine officials who called the visit “unfortunate” and “lamentable.”

Taiwan, one of the six claimants to the oil-rich group of islands in the South China Sea, has not officially reacted to the bilateral agreement between Beijing and Manila, and the tripartite agreement the two countries subsequently entered into with Hanoi since these deals recently got into the limelight. The Arroyo administration has come under fire amid allegations it received huge loans extended by China, including the corruption-tainted National Broadband Network project, after cutting the deals.

The Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking signed on Sept. 1, 2004 between Philippine National Oil Co. and China National Offshore in Beijing during the state visit of President Arroyo was expanded six months later to include Petro Vietnam.

The Spratlys are being claimed wholly or in part by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan and Brunei. The more or less 160 islands are claimed wholly both by China and Taiwan. Vietnam occupies 25 islands; China, nine; the Philippines, eight; Malaysia, three, and Taiwan, one. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef.

Under the agreements, Sonca (Sand Cay) and Nam Yit Islands, and Collins and Da Nu Thui (Petley) Reefs claimed by Vietnam are covered by the pre-exploration study area.

The Spratlys are being claimed wholly or in part by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Taiwan and Brunei. The more or less 160 islands are claimed wholly both by China and Taiwan. Vietnam occupies 25 islands; China, nine; the Philippines, eight; Malaysia, three, and Taiwan, one. Brunei has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef.

Under the agreements, Sonca (Sand Cay) and Nam Yit Islands, and Collins and Da Nu Thui (Petley) Reefs claimed by Vietnam are covered by the pre-exploration study area.

So are the reefs claimed by China: Landsowne (Da Len Dao), Yong Shu Jian (Fiery Cross), Nan Xun Jiao (Gaven), Kennan and Subi.

Sinh Cow, the main site of clashes between Chinese and Vietnamese troops in the past, is also in the agreement area.

Retired Commodore Rex Robles, who was part of the team that prepared the 1960’s handbook on the 53-islets in the South China Sea being claimed by the Philippines, said in an interview that a “militarily weak” Philippines initiated the regime of cooperation among the six claimants to deter Chinese aggression.

http://www.pinoypress.net/uploads/2008/03/10/spratlys1.jpg
The agreement area

The agreement states that China and the Philippines had held “pre-exploration activity” with “a view of engaging in a joint research of petroleum resource potential of certain areas of the South China Sea.”

Sources at the Department of Foreign Affairs said the original agreement, which was pushed aggressively by then Speaker Jose de Venecia, stipulated “exploration.”

But then Acting Justice Secretary and now Ombudsperson Merceditas Gutierrez objected, warning that it would be unconstitutional.

The Constitution provides that “the exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources shall be under the full control and supervision of the State.”

Gutierrez dropped her objection when at the last minute, the word “exploration” was deleted and replaced with “seismic study,” DFA sources said.

Robles said a seismic study is done only when the agencies involved have previously gathered data that pinpointed where they would drill. “That means they are already in the last stage of their undertaking,” he said.

http://www.pinoypress.net/uploads/2008/03/10/spratlys2.jpg
Itu Aba, the largest island in the disputed area

Opposition senators Panfilo Lacson, Antonio Trillanes IV and Jamby Madrigal have sought an inquiry into the agreements which, they said, is tantamount to treason.

Paranaque Rep. Roilo Golez has also called for an investigation at the House of Representatives to make sure that the agreements do not place national interest “in jeopardy.”

Lacson and other opposition leaders cited reports that the Spratlys deal was tied to the $8 billion projects to be financed with loans from China, including North Rail, South Rail, National Broadband Network and Cyber-Education deals.

De Venecia has denied any connection between the agreements and the release of Chinese loans to the Philippines. He reiterated the deals were designed to turn “an area of potential conflict into a zone of peace and development.”

Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, on the other hand, has said the agreements with China and Vietnam are not only consistent with the Philippine Constitution and the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of parties on the South China Sea but also “manifest responsible diplomacy to ease tension and promote confidence building in a region where, as noted in the article, the issue of sovereignty of the Spratly islands remains a potential ‘flashpoint.’”

(VERA Files is the work of senior journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. Vera is the Latin equivalent of “true.”)

03/10/2008 | 07:43 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Unmoved by the rising criticisms against the 2005 Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in the disputed Spratly Islands, the government is currently studying the possibility of extending the said trilateral agreement entered by the Philippines with China and Vietnam.

This was revealed Monday by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, who said an inter-agency legal team has already been convened to study Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the seismic studies.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez heads the team, Ermita said. Its members include chief presidential legal counsel Sergio Apostol, Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera, government corporate counsel Alberto Agra, and the legal teams from the Department of Energy, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corp.

Ermita said China and Vietnam are also in the process of assessing whether the JMSU will "move forward." He also admitted that the current area covered by the JMSU is within the 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone of the country.

"We have what we call an exclusive economic zone which is 200 miles from our baseline, and the area covered by the JMSU is within that area. I saw the map," Ermita said, adding that Phase 2 and Phase 3 only "becomes problematic" because there is an overlapping of territories with other claimant countries.

Spratlys is also being claimed by China, with its renegade province Taiwan filing a separate claim, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.

The JMSU began in August 2005 with a subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corporation, Beijing's largest offshore oil producer, tapped for the seismic studies. - Alena Gonzales, GMANews.TV (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/84169/Govt-may-extend-JMSU-despite-strong-criticisms)

Tightening noose (http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/spratlys/view.php?db=1&article=20080311-124149)

As the story evolves, what are the issues emerging over the administration’s Spratlys policy—or the lack of it? The central issue remains the lack of a clear definition, because of a lack of transparency, of what exactly President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo set out to do concerning the Philippine claim to a portion of the Spratlys administratively considered part of Palawan province and which Filipinos call Kalayaan Islands.

The story, as it is unfolding, involves two contracts. The first was signed between two government-owned or controlled corporations, involving seismic mapping of the South China Sea. The bilateral contract between Chinese and Philippine government-owned firms was later replaced by a trilateral contract, involving state-owned firms from China, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The contracts specified secrecy, except for authorized entities of the three governments.

The secrecy clause of the contracts is understandable in single-party states like China and Vietnam but brings up problems in a democracy like ours. That questionable aspect aside, the next question is whether the contracts were phrased in such a way as to give the administration a way of avoiding constitutionally-mandated disclosure requirements. Our Constitution authorizes the President to enter into deals involving mineral and petroleum resources, so long as the contracts that make them possible are transmitted to Congress. The administration argues that it has not had to do so, because the contracts only involve pre-exploration, and not even actual exploration, which is widely understood to be not just a prelude to, but an essential part of, of the actual exploitation of resources.

However, it’s been pointed out by reporters investigating the story, particularly Ricky Carandang, that whether or not the administration calls seismic mapping a purely pre-exploratory activity and not part and parcel of the exploitation of resources, the reality is that as far as the oil and gas industry is concerned, seismic sounding is considered an integral part of the exploitation process. This is because the costs of seismic sounding is large enough to require some sort of a guarantee that those undertaking the activity are given first crack at exploiting whatever oil and gas reserves are identified by the seismic mapping. Simply put: seismic mapping is not pre-exploration, it is part of exploration, and exploration, in turn, is part of the exploitation of resources.

So the allegation is that a false distinction has been made, to evade the Constitution’s requirements of presidential disclosure. Reporters are also zeroing in on the case of a company called Forum Energy that was given a license to explore for oil in Palawan, and which expected that it would then receive, pro forma, a service contract from the government once it found significant reserves. Instead, it was denied permission to drill—supposedly because our government faced pressure from China, emboldened by the Spratlys seismic mapping deal, which covered the part of Palawan that Forum Energy had previously been given permission to explore. Up against China, Forum Energy sold its rights to Monte Oro Resources and Energy, to which, in turn, a prominent businessman close to the President has been linked.

In the end, as the story is unfolding, the Palace’s response has been true to form and damning: It has tried to escape the tightening noose by simply voiding, or at least postponing the deal, in the hope that cancellation prevents accountability. This evasiveness only raises the question of why the government said it was perfectly legal—and yet so easily abandoned it. Not to mention the emerging issues of missing maps, a Philippine territorial base line not clearly established, which only further suggests that the administration at the very least was mucking about with deals over areas our own government isn’t even sure is ours, or someone else’s, and the corresponding problem that in agreeing to certain things, it was wittingly or worse, unwittingly, harming our own economic interests.

Anyone has a copy of the proposed House Bill 3216 (the New Baseline Bill)?

Spratlys on my mind (http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/spratlys/view.php?db=1&article=20080313-124370)

Suddenly there it was, Pag-asa, a little green island floating on a sea of turquoise blue. Our small Air Force plane felt like a feather floating in that windy vastness. And I remembered the famous pilot-philosopher Antoine de Saint Exupery’s words: “Below the sea of clouds lies eternity.”

After some two hours of eternal sea and sky from Palawan, there it was. The Air Force 10-seater Nomad plane circled just a little longer to allow us to feast our eyes on the proverbial emerald isle and take photographs and then came down with a light thud on runway abloom with dandelions.

I was on Pag-asa—one in the Spratly Group of Islands claimed by the Philippines—many years ago when the issue of possession and ownership was again in the international news. The Spratlys then were being seen as a flashpoint, and that gave a sudden cold flash in the spine because there are six other formidable Asian nations (Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei) making claims to the rest of the more than 50 islands “rumored” to be sitting on a bed of oil. The islands that the Philippines claims are called Kalayaan, or Freedom Group of Islands.

Today the Spratlys are again a hot item in the Philippine news because of the 2005 Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking the Philippines had with China and Vietnam, both claimants too; and because of the question whether or not this had anything to do with the scrapped controversial ZTE national broadband network deal with China that has been rocking the political landscape in the past months.

I had waited several years to get to Spratlys. The day came and I was set to go. There we were, a few journalists, in the middle of nowhere. More accurately, we were far into the South China Sea, 278 nautical miles off Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, far enough to say we were no longer on the regular map of the Philippines. But make no mistake, we were definitely still on Philippine soil.

We stepped out into the open and were met by men with dark brown faces. If not for their snappy salutes and weather-beaten uniforms, they could have come straight out of Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea.” Then Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Loven Abadia was on his first visit there as commanding general and we were invited to come along.

Occupancy is possession. That seems to be the law of the sea in those parts. Since the 1950s when the Philippines took over nine islands, Philippine troops have always been stationed there. We now have only eight islands, I think, fewer than some countries are occupying. When the Philippines abandoned Pugad Island in the 1980s, Vietnam took over with lightning speed and has since held on to it.

Pag-asa, the main and biggest Philippine-owned island (32.6 hectares), is where most of the Air Force and navy troops are stationed. There is a weather station there. At that time, the seven other islands had men watching over them too. Security prevented us from divulging how many men were stationed there.

I did write a long series on the Spratlys and learned a lot in the process. I also did get to interview Tomas “the Admiral” Cloma, the man who, in 1956, made a “Proclamation to the Whole World” asserting ownership over the islands. Cloma’s claim came after a first attempt by the Philippine government in 1947 to declare ownership over what it then called “New Southern Islands.”

Each country-claimant invokes a variety of reasons—from legal to historical—to back up their claims. And while for many long years most Spratly occupants had lived peaceably side by side, there had been hostilities, as in the case of Vietnam and China. In 1988, a bloody clash between the two countries over some reefs resulted in more than 70 deaths and three Vietnamese ships sank.

The issue of ownership breaks out every so often. There is chronic unease. While the Philippines occupies only eight islands, it claims all. So who owns the Spratlys?

It is not a question of who possesses the perfect title but who among the contending parties has the better title. This was what the late Haydee Yorac, University of the Philippines professor and Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair, said then. She was also an expert on the Spratlys. In international law, she said, that is how conflicting claims to territory are resolved.

As Comelec chair, Yorac pushed for elections in Kalayaan, which became the 21st municipality of Palawan. Yorac said then that she could argue the Philippines’ claim over all 53 Spratly islands. The Philippines, said Yorac, had always been sensitive to the question of what constitute its island waters and maritime boundaries. The reasons for this sensitivity are economic, fiscal, political and security. Because of its archipelagic nature and having islands lying more than 12 nautical miles from each other, the Philippines consistently advances the concept of its territory as both land and water formed into a composite and integral unity. The legal bases for this are: recognition by treaty, devolution by treaty rights and historic title.

The 1935 Constitution defined Philippine territory as “all the territory ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Paris and Spain (on Dec. 10, 1898) the limits of which are set forth in Article III of said treaty, together with all the islands embraced in the treaty concluded at Washington, between the US and Spain on (Nov. 7, 1900) and the treaty concluded between the US and Great Britain on (Jan. 2, 1930) and all territory over which the present Government of the Philippine Islands exercises jurisdiction.”

In 1955, the Philippines notified the United Nations and other states that all waters within the line described by the Treaty of Paris and the Constitution were Philippine territory subject to the exercise of the right of innocent passage by friendly nations.

House asked to go slow on delineating boundaries
Document shows Beijing’s concerns about Manila’s claim over Spratlys

AN ALL-PARTY caucus was proposed yesterday in the House of Representatives to discuss the technical and legal implications of a bill that seeks to define the country’s archipelagic baselines.

This was in light of a document from the Philippine embassy in China that outlined Beijing’s concerns on developments in the claim to the disputed Spratly Islands.

"I am proposing holding an all-party caucus after the Lenten season so that all members of the House will have an opportunity to judge for himself or herself whether we should go ahead with the third reading approval of the bill," Mr. Cuenco told reporters in a weekly press forum.

House Bill (HB) 3216 was principally authored by foreign affairs committee chairman and Cebu Rep. Antonio V. Cuenco (2nd district). It seeks to amend Republic Act 3046 which defined the territorial boundaries, which was signed into law in 1961.

HB 3216 was unanimously approved on second reading before the Christmas break and is pending approval on third and final reading.

The bill proposes new basepoints to draw the 12-mile territorial sea, the 24-mile contiguous zone and the 200-mile exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which was signed by the Philippines.

The new baselines will be the basis for delineating the maritime boundaries, including the extended continental shelf.

The bill states that 135 basepoints with four long baselines will be the basis of the territorial claim for the main archipelago, the Scarborough Shoal and the western part of the Spratly Islands and Kalayaan Island group.

It also provides for a "no prejudice clause" on claims to any contested portions of the national territory or maritime zones and jurisdictions.

The measure is in line with the requirements of UNCLOS to define archipelagic baselines before May 30, 2009.

"If we fail to meet that deadline, we’ll have problems in terms of our territories," Mr. Cuenco said.

He added that an emergency meeting of the foreign affairs committee on Tuesday night that was attended by 23 members decided to return the measure to the committee.

Chinese concern

Mr. Cuenco then disclosed that he received an unsigned document, entitled "Talking Points," dated December 2007 which states an alleged protest from the Chinese government to HB 3216.

He claimed he received the one-page document from Ambassador to China Sonia C. Brady which stated that "China is shocked and gravely concerned with the negative development," referring to the passage of the measure on second reading.

The document states that "China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha islands (Kalayaan Islands), including Scarborough Shoal and its adjacent waters."

It added "if the Philippine side forcefully puts Scarborough Shoal and some Nansha reefs and islands inside the baseline of the Philippine territorial sea, it will not only be [not] conducive to the stability in the South China Sea, but also disturb China-Philippine cooperation in the area, exerting negative impact on the healthy development of our bilateral relations."

The document states that the move of the House of Representatives does not conform to the common interest of the two countries, nor does it serve the interest of the Philippines.

"Such a unilateral action will neither strengthen the legal position of the Philippine side, nor will it be recognized and accepted by other parties and the international community," it further read.

The document also stated that a tripartite agreement on joint development in the South China Sea has been made between China, Philippines and Vietnam to avoid disputes.

"We don’t want to break our diplomatic relations with China, but we have to hear what my colleagues have to say about it," Mr. Cuenco said.

A six-man Chinese delegation led by Lui Hongcai, communist party vice-minister of international department, arrived yesterday and made a courtesy call to Speaker Prospero C. Nograles, Senate President Manuel B. Villar, Jr., and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The claim over Spratlys has been resurrected by criticisms on the 2005 Joint Seismic Marine Understanding between the Philippines, China and Vietnam in the disputed islands.

The opposition has claimed the agreement was entered into in exchange for juicy contracts with China, including the allegedly overpriced $329-million National Broadband Network project with ZTE Corp. — Ava Kashima K. Austria/Businessworldonline

http://www.southchinasea.org/images/eez3_full.jpg

Itu Iba (Ligaw), the largest spratly island and occupied by Taiwan is within RP's 200-mile exclusive economic zone. While Thiutu (Pagasa), the second largest and occupied by RP is beyond EEZ.

Passion For Reason : Spratly Islands 101

By Raul Pangalangan
Columnist
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Posted date: March 14, 2008


MANILA, Philippines -- Joint Development in Mineral Agreements is not controversial in international law. What makes the China-Vietnam-Philippines 2005 Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) suspect, if not downright unlawful, is that it was signed in violation of the Philippine Constitution, and may have been signed in exchange for bribe-tainted loans. It isn’t that we sold potentially oil rich shores so cheaply, but that we bartered our souls.
One, we must distinguish between title over land and title over the waters surrounding the land (or to be more precise, over the maritime territories, which will include the submerged lands and the resources beneath what is called the continental shelf). Each kind of title is derived from a different source.

Our title over our islands derives from the 1898 Treaty of Peace between Spain and the United States: “Spain cedes to the United States the archipelago known as the Philippine Islands, and comprehending the islands lying within the following line: ….” Significantly, the Spratlys lie within those lines demarcated within the treaty limits. (The United States paid Spain the sum of $20 million. It could’ve been a neat real estate deal, except that we, the dark-skinned natives, were only accidentally part of the package—and proudly waged war.)

On the other hand, our claim over the waters and the maritime zones derive from the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, which grants us the sole exploitation rights over our natural resources within our Exclusive Economic Zone (which extends to 200 nautical miles around the coastal state) and, more relevant to fossil fuel extraction, to our continental shelf (defined as the “natural prolongation of the land mass” up to the same 200 nautical mile limit).

Within that framework, “joint development zones” are not a problem. Indeed, in our part of the world, there have been other such cooperative regimes: Thailand and Malaysia; East Timor and Australia; Malaysia and Brunei; and China and Vietnam.

These are in fact fostered as provisional regimes so that states can access their mineral assets without having to wait until a final “boundary delimitation” that typically takes one or two generations.

That is exactly what the Chinese are saying: The JMSU is a way of “shelving disputes and going in for joint development.” That is what the ASEAN’s Manila Declaration of 1992 says: “South China Sea issues involve sensitive questions of sovereignty” and so its members should “explore the possibility of cooperation ... without prejudicing the[ir] sovereignty.” That is also what the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea urged: to “exercise self-restraint [and] refrain from [engaging in] activities that would complicate or escalate disputes.”

Moreover, cooperative zones do not entail loss of territory. Indeed, considering that the Philippines has neither the capital nor technology, the only thing it can share with its partners is exploitation rights over part of its territory. That is why the JMSU contains this disclaimer: the agreement “shall not undermine the basic position held by … each Party on the South China Sea issue,” adverting to the perennial debate over who owns the disputed Spratly Islands in what some Chinese experts call “a Chinese pond.”

The real problem lies elsewhere. It lies in the Philippine Constitution, which reserves to the state the exclusive power of “exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources,” although it can choose to do so through cooperative agreements with Filipino corporations. That clause ends with the reporting requirement—not complied with, either—namely: for the President to notify Congress of every such contract within 30 days.

The official Malacañang line now is that the JMSU is “purely scientific in nature”—not exploratory—and is solely for geological data-gathering to test a portion of the Spratlys for possible oil reserves. However, its worst enemy is itself, via its own statements in the website of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

According to the PIA, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said at a press briefing in the Shangri-La Hotel: “The discussion (between President Arroyo and Premier Wen) centered on the joint exploration of the three countries…. The first phase or the exploration phase has been completed and the Chinese Premier expressed hope that the three countries would continue the cooperation on the developmental level.” Finally, contemporaneous statements by the other partners, China and Vietnam, and by Malacañang itself, repeatedly use the word “exploration.”

Finally, it is not as if there is a bright-line distinction that divides the “scientific” from the “exploratory.” Eduardo Mañalac, former president of Philippine National Oil Co., has stated that from an engineer’s standpoint, what the JMSU contemplates is already “exploration” for all practical intents. But the Palace could have been more believable if the scientific study had been undertaken by an academic or scientific agency. What makes the official line implausible is that the deal was signed by three commercial corporations engaged in actual petroleum extraction. A geological study does not become “scientific” merely because it uses expert methods. It becomes so because it aims to discover truths that lie beneath the surface, whoever profits or loses. Just like the protesters at Mendiola Street are scientific, while Ms Arroyo’s minions are exploratory.

Source: http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=20080314-124585

I wonder if and why the Americans did not have any interest on the Spratly Is. during the time when we have their military bases here...

I believe they only used this area for exercises (target practice) during those times. Does this mean the Americans believe this is not part of the Philippines?

I feel that S. China Sea could become the next Persian Gulf --- lots of resources, and could be a major military flash point on earth!

Chinese ship for Spratlys project docks in Palawan

The president and chief executive of the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) confirmed Monday that a Chinese ship that docked in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, is involved in seismic mapping in the disputed Spratlys Group of Islands in the South China Sea.

PNOC President Antonio Cailao said the Nan Hai 502 is one of three vessels owned by China Oilfield Services Limited, which won the bid to gather data for the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) among the Philippines, Vietnam and China.

"There’s a ship. At least three ships are involved in gathering data. It's a mapping... that's what these ships do. Whether they dock in Palawan for fueling or wherever is another matter. But their activity is limited to gathering of data in the area of JMSU. Now, presumably when they run out of fuel or they have to feed the people, they have to go elsewhere, and the nearest island is maybe Palawan island," Cailao told ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC).

Cailao's confirmation of the presence of the ship in Puerto Princesa came in the wake of JMSU critics who are questioning the Spratlys deal, saying it violates the constitutional provision that limits exploration and the use of natural resources in the Philippines to Filipinos.

"There are two questions that arise. If it is exploration, then the participants must be 60 percent Filipino-owned," said Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo.

Ocampo added President Arroyo should also have informed Congress within 30 days after the signing of the JMSU agreement.

"It is on these two counts that we are calling for investigations and to determine whether the executive has violated the constitution," Ocampo said.

The probe, according to Ocampo, will have to wait until April 21 since Congress is on a five-week recess.

"Before we adjourned, the plenary gave authority to the standing and special committees to conduct hearings during the break period. We'll have to find out whether the committee on foreign affairs, defense, energy and natural resources, would call a joint hearing on this matter as called for by the resolutions and the decisions of the plenary," he said.

The Arroyo administration maintains the JMSU is only a pre-exploration activity.

PNOC: JMSU does not violate law

The Philippines, Vietnam, and China have until July 1, 2008 to finish the second phase of the three-year JMSU agreement.

The ship in Puerto Princesa, shown in a video footage shot over the weekend by ABS-CBN News, was fitted to check for potential oil and gas.

Last week, the PNOC admitted that the study is already 70 percent complete.

Under the JMSU agreement, China will lead in data gathering, Vietnam will take care of data processing and the Philippines will interpret the data.

Cailao, however, said that even if the results of the study are good, it does not guarantee the presence of oil and gas in the area.

Cailao also said that even if the area of the study is within Philippine territory, no law or constitutional provision has been violated.

The PNOC stressed that the Philippines won't be able to mine the oil or gas without the help from other countries.

ABS-CBN News was able to take footages of the ship, which was docked at the port of Puerto Princesa despite tight security.

Port officials tried to prevent an ABS-CBN News team from taking footages of the ship from the dock. The team also tried to get an interview with the ship's crew, but they declined.

Onboard a rented fishing boat, ABS-CBN News was then able to take footages of the ship and its seismic survey equipment.

Aside from footage of the Chinese vessel docked off Palawan, ABS-CBN News was also able to get a map of the JMSU of the three countries in the disputed Spratlys.

The map shows the area where oil may be extracted, which includes an area near Palawan.-- With reports from Henry Omaga-Diaz and Alvin Elchico, ABS-CBN News

Arroyo neglect, gov't infighting jeopardize RP's territorial claim
VERA Files
03/24/2008 | 01:56 PM
(First of two parts)

MANILA, Philippines - Neglect by President Gloria Arroyo and squabbles over turf and money have derailed government efforts to establish the country's new archipelagic baseline, and may jeopardize the Philippines' claim over resource-rich Spratlys that fall within its extended continental shelf.

With a year left before the May 13, 2009 deadline for filing its claim for an extended continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Philippines is nowhere near completing the studies, surveys and report required to bolster the country’s claim over its extended territory.

The UNCLOS, which the Philippines ratified 14 years ago, requires coastal states to declare their extended continental shelf, which is the underwater extension of the land.

In Congress, lawmakers are debating a redefined archipelagic baseline bill. Although there is no deadline to the filing of a country's archipelagic baseline with the UN, it is, however, going to be the basis for measuring all maritime regimes or zones: territorial sea (12 nautical miles from the baseline), contiguous zone (24 nm), economic exclusive zone (200 nm), continental shelf (200 nm) and extended continental shelf (350 nm).

The drafting of the country's claim under the UNCLOS is a tale of infighting among agencies wanting to take the lead and subsequently controlling the billions of pesos of government fund for that undertaking, including a $250,000 grant from the Norwegian government.

It is also a story of President Arroyo’s failure to give importance to the complicated tasks involved (such as marine hydrographic, gravity and magnetic surveys and studies) to come up with data required in drafting territorial baseline despite the urgency of a May 2009 deadline.

In 2001, President Arroyo abolished the Cabinet Committee on the Treaty on the Law of the Sea, created under Ferdinand Marcos and maintained by the three succeeding presidents – Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, and Joseph Estrada. Arroyo replaced it with the mid-level Maritime and Ocean Affairs Center (MOAC), which was just a unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) then headed by Assistant Secretary Alberto Encomienda.

It was only in March 2007, after six years, that Arroyo restored the issue as a Cabinet-level concern when she issued Executive Order 612 creating the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs (CMOA) under the Office of the President. The CMOA is to be chaired by the Executive Secretary with the Justice Secretary and Foreign Affairs Secretary as vice chairs.

The initial members were the departments of national defense, environment and natural resources, budget and management, transportation and communications, tourism, trade and industry, National Security Council, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, National Mapping and Resources Information Authority (NAMRIA), and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Arroyo designated the Department of Foreign Affairs as the lead agency and secretariat of the CMOA. She also committed a major oversight: she excluded from the EO creating CMOA the Department of Energy, which had been involved in doing scientific studies on the country's continental shelf with other agencies.

It took nine months for Arroyo to correct the lapse. On Dec. 17, 2007, she issued EO 612-A including DOE in the CMOA "in order (for it) to be able to fully contribute its knowledge and expertise" in the preparation of the country's claim for extended continental shelf.

Outside the Palace, however, there were other initiatives toward complying with the UN requirement. In 2001, the University of the Philippines, through its National Institute of Geological Sciences and the UP Law Center's Institute of International Legal Studies, undertook a project, "Delineation of the Outer Limits of the Philippine Continental Shelf," with the DOE, NAMRIA and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

UP law professor Harry Roque, an international law expert, recalled the confusion on who was to take the lead in this project. Foreign affairs officials wanted the DFA to lead because it was in charge of submitting the claim to the UN. DENR said they should take the lead because the project involves natural resources and NAMRIA is its line agency. The NSC also got into the picture, citing security considerations.

In the end, the project proposed an executive order creating an interagency national committee with the president or vice president as chair and the DFA and DENR as vice chairs. When the UP-led project ended months later, Arroyo had not created any such committee.

In the case of MOAC, interagency coordination was saddled by its not being Cabinet level; thus, no policy decisions could be made. To be fair, Encomienda presented updates on the project before the Cabinet cluster on security attended by President Arroyo.

There were also personality differences among MOAC members. Some did not regard highly the entry of a retired police general, Dionisio Ventura, as head of NAMRIA, while others resented what they said was Encomienda's "soliloquy" during meetings. Worse, some agencies refused to share data with MOAC.

Bureaucratic wrangling also marred baseline-related activities of the past administrations. During the presidency of Fidel V. Ramos, interagency power play derailed a project that would have strengthened the Philippine position to include a portion of the disputed Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) within the Philippine archipelagic baseline. The KIG is part of Spratlys.

Documents obtained by Vera Files showed that as early as 1994, Ramos ordered various agencies to work together on projects to redefine the country's archipelagic baseline.

In mid-1994, then NAMRIA administrator Jose Solis (now congressman of Sorsogon) sought financial assistance from then Energy Secretary Delfin Lazaro for the building of lighthouses on three islets in the KIG: Nares Reef, Recto Bank or Marie Louise Reef, and Sea Horse Bank.

This was about the time that the Chinese were starting to occupy Mischief Reef in the KIG, which is only 135 nautical miles away from the Philippine baseline. Lazaro supported the lighthouses project and sought Ramos’ approval to draw funds from the DOE's Special Account.

In a memo to Ramos, Lazaro cited possible international complications and risks of the lighthouse project: "While this project will be beneficial to the Philippines in terms of expanding available area not only for petroleum exploration but for other natural resources as well and that the lighthouses will also be important navigational aids, we wish to point out that actual construction of the lighthouse could provoke international protests from other countries (such as China and Vietnam) including possible physical stoppage of the work by their navies."

Lazaro’s request for a go-signal got stalled in Malacanang. His successor, Francisco Viray, pursued the lighthouse project. In a memo to Ramos dated Dec. 12, 1994, Viray said: "Once established, these lighthouses will serve as legal basis in determining the new baseline. Other countries are doing the same things to fortify their territorial claims."

Viray said the presence of lighthouses would reinforce the country’s claim over the Reed Bank. A lighthouse would have qualified Reed Bank, which is within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone, to be part of the archipelagic baseline. This would increase Philippine archipelagic waters within the baseline by 11,042 square nautical miles or 7,750,000 hectares.

Documents obtained by Vera Files showed that on Feb. 15, 1995, Ramos finally approved the release of P178-million for the mapping, survey, and construction of lighthouses in the KIG. He instructed the DOE to supply the funds, and the NAMRIA to supervise the design and construction of the lighthouse as well as the coordinates of the benchmarks identifying the territorial limits based on the 200-nautical mile EEZ. Formal public bidding was waived "in view of the urgency and confidentiality of the project."

But soon after the funding was approved, Ramos himself revoked NAMRIA's authority to oversee the project and transferred it to the Philippine Navy upon the recommendation of Defense Secretary Renato de Villa.

This led Solis to complain: "The NAMRIA has been religiously working for the immediate implementation of the KIG project. I would like to inform the Executive Secretary that when there were still no available funds for the project, it was the NAMRIA which did all the work to convince the funding agency to support the project. However, when the funding was approved and the authority was given to the NAMRIA, the Cabinet made a decision to transfer the project to the Philippine Navy."

For one reason or another, the KIG lighthouses never got built—and the Philippines has lost its chance to build them. In 2002, the Arroyo government signed the ASEAN-China Code of Conduct in the South China Sea that bans construction of new structures on uninhabited islands in the disputed areas. Brunei, China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines are claiming wholly or partially about 160 islands in the South China Sea.

A number of baseline and continental shelf legislations have been filed in both chambers of Congress. In the Senate, Sen. Leticia Shahani filed such a bill in 1993. A proposed baseline law authored by detained senator Antonio Trillanes IV is pending in the 14th Congress. The bill seeks to amend existing baseline to include Scarborough Shoal and treating the KIG as a regime of islands to conform to the criteria set by UNCLOS.

In the House of Representatives, Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco's bill has been returned to the committee level after reaching second reading last December. There were earlier initiatives in the House by then representative and now senator Francis Escudero and Rep. Gerry Salapuddin. "The project was stalled due to lack of available funds," Salapuddin said back then.

Indeed, it is the government's failure to provide the money that has slowed down projects needed to revised the baseline law and identify the extended continental shelf. After receiving an initial P50 million funding last year, CMOA is getting only P10 million in the 2008 budget.
It also took Malacanang five years to include the budget needed for the extended continental shelf project. A source privy to the project said NAMRIA had initially estimated that P10 billion would be needed for the scientific and technical surveys. Deputy Executive Secretary for Legislative Liaison Jake Lagonera balked, saying, "Masyado yatang malaki 'yan (That's too much)."

Indonesia had spent about $100 million for its project. But MOAC had said about P500 million would be enough for the extended continental shelf project.

The source said the Palace also found NAMRIA'S second proposal, totalling P2.9 billion, on the high side. It finally approved a P1.7 billion funding to be released over several years.

The Arroyo administration's last-minute effort to meet the May 2009 deadline is reflected in NAMRIA's P 1.2 billion budget for this year. For the first time, it is getting a P380 million allotment for the extended continental shelf delimitation project on top of the P547 million for its regular mapping and remote sensing activities. - Ellen Tordesillas, Chit Estella, Luz Rimban, Booma Cruz, Yvonne Chua and Jennifer Santiago, VERA Files/GMANews

INQUIRER.net launches Spratlys map


INQUIRER.net (http://http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080324-126169/INQUIRERnet-launches-Spratlys-map)
First Posted 18:28:00 03/24/2008


MANILA, Philippines -- INQUIRER.net launches its revised Spratly Islands map.

The map shows the South China Sea, including the disputed Spratlys and their claimants. The Philippine State boundary and the area covered by the Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking are also shown.

The map is produced by the Environmental Science for Social Change (http://www.essc.org.ph/).

The Spratlys -- believed to be rich in oil, gas and fish stocks -- consist of about 100 barren islets, reefs and atolls dotting the world's busiest shipping lanes in the South China Sea.

Vietnam, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei each claim all or part of the low-lying islands. With The Associated Press


Click here to see the map (http://www.inquirer.net/map_api/spratlys/)

Based on that map, I believe the Southwest Cay and the South Reef were the ones grabbed by Vietnam while out troops were out attending the Birthday party of their commander in another island... :ohno:

Villar says Spratlys deal may have violated Charter

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080325-126275/Villar-says-Spratlys-deal-may-have-violated-Charter)
First Posted 09:35:00 03/25/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- The University of Philippines' Marine Science Institute opines that the so-called Spratlys deal among the Philippines, China, and Vietnam is phase one of an exploration process and thus violates the Constitution, Senate President Manuel Villar said.

Citing the institute's response to his query about the nature of the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking among the national oil companies of the three countries, Villar said: "Nagbigay ng technical opinion ang institute ng UP at sinabi nila na iyong proseso, iyong seismic study na ginawa sa Spratlys ay exploration na iyon. Isang phase 1 ng exploration process. Mahalaga ito dahil kapag sinabi mong exploration, na-violate ang ating konstitusyon (The UP institute gave their technical opinion and they said that it's a process, that the seismic study in Spratlys is exploration. It's phase 1 of the exploration process. This is significant because if you say exploration, it violates our Constitution)."

Villar has written institute director Dr. Ma. Lourdes San Diego-Macglone on March 17 and he said the UP's answer was that "the marine seismic survey is an integral part of hydrocarbon exploration."

"So exploration talaga ito. Ito ay mahirap ikaila (This is really exploration. This is difficult to deny). Under our constitution, under our laws, ang exploration po ay isang violation ng Constitution," he said.

The Senate President said given that the deal involves exploration that violates the Constitution, entering into the agreement is an impeachable offense. But he maintained that whatever course of action he and fellow senators will take is for the search of the truth.

"Itong sagot ng UP ay gagamitin natin sa darating na hearings o sa mga aksyon ng Senado sa mga nangyayari dito sa Spratlys...Kung ano naman ang dapat gawin, gagawin natin (We can use this answer by the UP in the coming hearings or in any action that the Senate might take over what is happening in the Spratlys...Whatever needs to be done will be done)...We will use it to establish the truth, not against anybody," he said.

Villar said he also wants to be clarified whether the area covered by the seismic study falls within the disputed areas or undisputed Philippine territory.

Asked if he would use the UP expert opinion in a case that might be filed before the Supreme Court to declare the tripartite agreement null and void, the Senate President said: "Gagamitin namin iyan (We will use that). It's a scientific opinion given to us when we asked for a strict definition of seismic study if it was exploration...because in our Constitution exploration is prohibited."

At the same time, Villar noted the need to establish the Philippine baselines and to pursue the country's claim over the Spratlys, which is believed to be rich in oil and marine resources.

The Senate President also reiterated his proposal for the establishment of a single agency that would conduct a baseline study and prepare for strengthening the country's claim over the islands.

"Kailangang mapalakas natin ang claim dito at hindi ang nangyayari na kung ano-anong deal ang pinapasok natin na nagpapahina ng ating claim sa mga teritoryo na ito (We need to strengthen our claim and not enter into whatever deal that would weaken our claim over these territories)," he said.

AFP installs communication system, repairs barracks in Pagasa Island
03/25/2008 | 09:17 AM

PAGASA ISLAND, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has installed a communications facility in this contested territory and repaired barracks of soldiers posted in this disputed territory.

AFP chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr said the military has installed VSAT (Very Small Apperture Terminal) system that allows headquarters to communicate with the troops posted here on a 24-hour basis.

“Communications, information is very important as we know so its very important that we have a VSAT," said Esperon.

“We have installed our VSAT, satellite communications so that today, we now have a cellphone
connection to Manila or anywhere for that matter and we have the local communications between general headquarters and this island on a 24-hour basis," he added.

On whether the installation of the satellite communications system was against the Code of Conduct, Esperon said: “No, not at all. Placing communications is not a violation... It's simply for communications, command and control."

Full story here (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/86068/AFP-installs-communication-system-repairs-barracks-in-Pagasa-Island)

‘Pass baseline bill and let int’l courts rule on Spratlys’
March 26, 2008 16:43:00
Maila Ager INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- House Speaker Prospero Nograles said international courts should settle any conflicts arising from the passage of the baseline bill that seeks to include the disputed Spratlys Islands in the country’s territory.

When Congress resumes session in April, Nograles said the House leadership would not stop a vote on House Bill 3216, which is up for approval on third and final reading.

“If the committee chairman wants to put it to a vote, the leadership will not stop it. It is our policy here that the leadership will always support its committee chair. Kung ano gusto ng committee chairman [What the committee chairman wants], we follow,” he said at a press conference.

The committee chair, Cebu Representative Antonio Cuenco, on Tuesday said he would push for the approval of the bill despite a protest by the Chinese government. He added he was confident of the bill’s approval.

Nograles agreed the chance of the plenary’s approval on third and final reading was “very high” since the bill had been already passed second reading.

Any defects in the measure, he said, can be cured when the House and Senate come together for the bicameral conference, he added.

Besides, Nograles said the bill needs to be passed to comply with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“What we are approving is only defining our baseline. They [other Spratlys claimants] can define their baselines also and then if there is a conflict, let the international courts settle it,” he said.

This, he said, was “why the UN asked everybody to draw their baselines and then the conflict will be resolved by an international court.”

“But if we don’t draw up our baseline, then what is the basis for settling the dispute? We draw up our baselines first. They draw their own baseline and if there is a, then settle,” Nograles said. “But if all of them draw their baselines, [and] we don’t draw our baseline, they might claim the whole Philippines. We will be on the losing end.”

The other claimants to the Spratlys are China, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

---------------------------------------

Esperon: Arroyo ‘Spratlys visit’ case of ‘wrong impression’
March 26, 2008 13:33:00
Joel Guinto INQUIRER.net

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines -- Armed Forces chief General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said he could have gotten the "wrong impression" that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wanted to visit territory in the disputed Srpatlys Islands occupied by the Philippines.

"I could have been wrong in my impression of what the President said. Alangan namang siya pa nagkamali [She could not have bean wrong]," Esperon told reporters here.

On Monday, Esperon told troops in a speech at the Western Command headquarters here that Arroyo was planning to visit Pag-asa Island in the Spratlys, which the Philippines calls the Kalayaan Island Group.

He joked that Arroyo even scolded him during a phone conversation last Saturday for not including her in his trip to Pag-asa Island on Monday afternoon.

But Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the President had no plans of visiting the Spratlys.

Asked if Arroyo had told him she wanted to visit the Spratlys, Esperon said: "That's what has been impressed upon me, so if her schedule is free, probably...But my impression is she had wanted to come here, to Palawan."

Had it been true, the President's visit to the Spratlys would have come at a time when her administration is under fire from the opposition for entering into a tripartite agreement for seismic study in the reportedly oil-rich islands.

Administration critics claim the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) forged by the government with China and Vietnam weakens the Philippines’ claim to the Spratlys.

They also accuse the administration of entering into the agreement in exchange for a multi-million-dollar loan package from China to fun projects such as the scandal-tainted national broadband network deal.

A visit by Arroyo would also have come on the heels of a recent visit to the disputed islands by Taiwan’s leader, an incident that drew vigorous protest from other claimants, including the Philippines and China, which considers Taiwan a province.

Esperon admits RP lacks firepower to defend Kalayaan
March 26, 2008 04:32:00
Redempto Anda Southern Luzon Bureau

PAG-ASA ISLAND—The Philippines may lack the capability to defend its territorial claim over the Kalayaan Island Group in the disputed Spratlys, but it can bank on the support of the United Nations.

This was the assurance made by Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon to the contingent of soldiers guarding Pag-Asa, the seat of the municipal government of Kalayaan and the largest of the remote island group.

“We don’t have enough firepower to last a single day in battle. But this won’t happen now because the United Nations will not allow it,” Esperon told the soldiers, their faces sun-baked, on Monday.

To illustrate the Philippines’ lack of capability to assert control over its claimed territory, Esperon recalled Vietnam’s invasion of Lawak Island, internationally known as Southwest Cay, in the early 1970s after Filipino soldiers temporarily left it unguarded.

“I remember the case of Lawak Island. When the sea level rose at high tide, we decided to temporarily vacate it and move to another place. Then somebody else took control of it and we couldn’t come back anymore,” he said.

Another case was China’s occupation of Mischief Reef in 1995, under the very noses of the Philippine Navy forces guarding it.

Tourist destination

To avert similar incidents and to defuse political tension and strengthen its political governance, the Philippines is considering demilitarizing Kalayaan, said Palawan Vice Gov. David Ponce de Leon.

He announced plans by the municipal government to promote Pag-Asa as a tourist destination by organizing sightseeing tours, with one scheduled this summer.

Full government

Established by a presidential decree in 1978, the municipality of Kalayaan is set up as a full-fledged local government unit—except that there are hardly any warm bodies inhabiting the islands.

The town has an appointed chief of police who can lay claim to a zero-crime rate.

A number of government buildings and offices, including a municipal hall, have been built, but these are used largely by the soldiers because their regular occupants only make occasional visits.

As Palawan’s 23rd municipality, Kalayaan receives its annual share of revenue, which, according to Mayor Rosendo Mantes, will amount to some P25 million this fiscal year.

“We spend the money for development projects in the municipality,” he said.

But for much of the year, when the waters are rough and travel to Kalayaan is hazardous, the entire population of the municipality—with the exception of the soldiers who stand guard on a rotating two-month tour of duty—is in faraway Puerto Princesa, Palawan’s capital city.

Even election campaigns are conducted on the mainland. But on the day itself, everyone, including Commission on Elections personnel, travels to Pag-Asa for the actual balloting.

Strong claim

According to Ponce de Leon, a professor of international and constitutional law at the Palawan State University’s College of Law, the Philippines’ claim to Kalayaan is sufficiently strong to warrant its inclusion in the archipelagic baselines that the government is to submit to the UN by 2009.

Compared to other countries claiming the Spratlys wholly or partly, and whose presence is defined mainly through military occupation, the case of Kalayaan is different because it exercises civilian political authority, he said.

“Military occupation is just an additional aspect of effective occupation. But we are already exercising effective jurisdiction, as shown by the presence of the municipality of Kalayaan. As far as we are concerned, on the rules and principles of international law, we have established that,” Ponce de Leon said, adding:

“Since we are already exercising effective occupation, we should assert the baselines to include Kalayaan. To do otherwise would mean losing our waters between Kalayaan and Palawan.”

Santiago’s warning

Malacañang has earlier indicated an inclination to treat Kalayaan as separate and outside Philippine baselines—a position that, a number of lawmakers said, would not only harm the country’s long-term interest in the region but also violate the Constitution.

In Manila, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago Tuesday cautioned her peers against a new baselines bill declaring the Philippines as an archipelagic state, saying it would reduce our boundaries and would also require a change in the Constitution.

Santiago said the Philippines would be entitled to only 20 nautical kilometers (12 miles) of the territorial sea under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“If the Philippines declares itself an archipelagic state, our zone of sovereignty would collapse,” she said in a statement.

“Our internal waters would become archipelagic waters where the ships of all states will enjoy the right of innocent passage. In addition, foreign states would have the right of so-called archipelagic sea lane passage. Ships of all states would have the right of passage and their aircraft would have the right of overflight. This is an almost colossal reduction from the wider boundaries of the International Treaty Limits under the Treaty of Paris.”

Santiago said the 1898 Treaty of Paris, under which Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States, had served as the basis for the present Philippine Baseline Law.

She said the bills pending in Congress, which seek to extend the archipelagic baselines to include Scarborough Shoal, would “eliminate such limits and, thus, the Philippines would lose its boundaries.”

Expert opinion

According to Santiago, who chairs the Senate foreign affairs committee, the Constitution has already defined the territory comprising the Philippine archipelago and all other territories over which the country has sovereignty or jurisdiction.

She said the Philippines would have to seek expert opinion to determine whether Kalayaan “constitutes another archipelago.”

“Under the UNCLOS, an archipelagic state can be composed of two archipelagos. If not, under international law, Kalayaan could be characterized as ‘other islands’ over which the Philippines is entitled to claim sovereignty,” Santiago said.

“International law does not recognize the drawing of archipelagic baselines as a method of claiming territorial sovereignty,” she said.

She added that a congressional commission on national territory should be established because the present bills “do not fully appreciate the magnitude and depth of the country’s territorial problems.”

Effective occupation

Santiago proposed that the Philippine government make an “effective occupation” of the disputed islands instead of exerting the Philippine claim through a baselines bill.

“The Philippines has already exercised many political and administrative acts of a sovereign nature over Scarborough Shoal. Such acts include military exercises, establishment of lighthouse, enforcement of laws against foreign vessels and nationals, which are evidenced by historical data,” she said.

The senator is also worried about the impact of the baselines bills on the Philippine claim to Sabah.

“If the pending bills abolish Section 2 of Republic Act No. 5446, which provides that the Philippines has acquired dominion and sovereignty over Sabah, North Borneo, and hence, the baselines of the territorial sea include baselines of the territorial sea around Sabah, the effect is to remove from Philippine law the affirmation of sovereignty over Sabah,” she said. With a report from Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.

The Spratlys and the Philippine claim (http://www.upiasiaonline.com/Politics/2008/03/26/the_spratlys_and_the_philippine_claim/2587/)

Six Asian countries claim the Spratly Islands -- China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. Disputes among these six parties have led to various minor military skirmishes, the detention of fisherfolk and diplomatic rows in the past three decades.
Control of the Spratlys is important since the region is supposed to contain large deposits of oil, gas, hydrocarbon and mineral resources. The islands are also strategically located in the sea lanes for commerce and transport in the South China Sea.

The Spratlys consist of about 26 islands and islets and 7 groups of rocks in the South China Sea found approximately between the latitude of 4 degrees to 11 degrees 30'N. and longitude 109 degrees 30'E. They have a maritime area of 160,000 square kilometers and an insular area of about 170 hectares.

The Spratlys are popular among fishermen. However, they are considered dangerous for commercial navigation. Maps from the early part of the last century have advised seamen to avoid passing through them.

Japan explored the Spratlys for military reasons during World War II. The British Admiralty and U.S. Navy have also ordered some top secret missions there. But the U.S. Navy never released the new charts of the Spratlys to civilian authorities. Writer Francois-Xavier Bonnet wonders about the role of the Spratlys during the Vietnam War.

In 1933 a Philippine senator protested the French annexation of the Spratlys. A parliamentary committee studied the issue but the U.S. government, which controlled the Philippines at that time, did not take an interest in the matter.

In 1946 Vice President Elpidio Quirino claimed the Spratlys on behalf of the Philippine government. A year later, the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs declared that the "New Southern Islands" previously occupied by Japan during World War II were part of Philippine territory.

In 1955 the Philippine military reported that the Spratly island group was of "vital proximity" to the country. The following year, Filipino navigator and businessman Tomas Cloma issued a "proclamation to the whole world" claiming ownership and occupation of the Spratlys. Cloma sent six letters to the government about the need to settle the question of ownership of the islands.

The vice president of the Philippines replied in 1957, assuring Cloma that the government "does not regard with indifference the economic exploitation and settlement of these uninhabited and unoccupied islands by Philippine nationals."

According to Filipino law professor Haydee Yorac, the Cloma Proclamation was the first assertion of title to the Spratlys after Japan renounced its ownership of the islands in 1951 and 1952.

In 1978 President Ferdinand Marcos issued a proclamation declaring ownership of most of the islands in the Spratlys. The area was renamed the Kalayaan (Freedom) Island Group. The proclamation laid the following basis for the Philippine claim: "By virtue of their proximity and as part of the continental margin of the Philippine archipelago"; that "they do not legally belong to any state or nation, but by reason of history; indispensable need, and effective occupation and control established in accordance with international law"; and while other states have laid claims to some of these areas, their claims have lapsed by abandonment and cannot prevail over that of the Philippines on legal, historical, and equitable ground."

In 1995 President Fidel Ramos articulated the Philippine position regarding the Spratlys issue. He said "I would like to clarify that the Philippines does not only claim eight islands in the Spratlys but owns all islands and waters in the Spratlys as defined in the presidential decree issued by former President Marcos."

Militarization of the Spratlys started in the 1970s. The Philippines sent a military contingent to occupy some of the islands in 1971. After four years, the Philippines had already established a military presence in six islands. Today, the Philippines occupies eight islands in the area.

The Philippine military insists it is ready to protect and assert Philippine sovereignty in the Spratlys at all costs. However, in the mid-1980s the Philippine defense secretary publicly recommended that the Philippines should give up its claim to the islands, since it had limited capacity to defend them.

Prospects are dim for international bodies like the International Court of Justice, International Tribunal on the Law and the U.N. Charter to resolve the issue of ownership in the Spratlys. A military solution should be avoided since it would threaten the stability of the region and the world. The best approach should be the forging of bilateral and multilateral agreements among claimants.

Retired Philippine Ambassador Rodolfo A. Arizala has proposed the following options to peacefully settle the Spratlys dispute: Antarctic type of treaty, joint administration and co-imperium or condominium.

The Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1959 by 12 countries which agreed to "freeze" their claims on the Antarctic Territories for the duration of the treaty. In the meantime, the claimants vowed to work for the development of new international legal arrangements to settle the dispute and the launching of scientific and cooperative activities in the region.

Co-imperium or condominium refers to joint rights of administration. Condominium, in particular, covers the right to dispose of a territory.

In 2004 the Philippines, Vietnam and China signed the controversial "Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in Certain Areas in the South China Sea." The agreement excluded other claimants in the region. The agreement also covered many islands in the Spratlys which are claimed only by the Philippines. Opposition politicians are accusing the Philippine president of having committed treason.

Is the "Joint Undertaking" the proper way to resolve the issue of ownership in the Spratlys? Dialogue among all parties should be continued. Cooperative activities should be pursued. But these approaches should all be done in a transparent manner.

^^China is also claiming it based on history... hmmm...

I also wonder how they will merge the Taiwan and Chinese claim...

If the Spratlys are so far out from mainland China, does it mean we can also lay claim to Paracel Islands?

Any updates about that missing S-211 jet around the Spratly's?

Pimentel adopts Cuenco baselines bill
March 27, 2008 14:23:00
Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. has “lifted bodily” Cebu Congressman Antonio Cuenco’s baselines measure, House Bill 3216, for the Senate in a move to fast-track the country’s compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Pimentel asked for the urgent approval of the measure as the deadline for the submission of a law defining the country’s territory in compliance with UNCLOS provisions -- May next year -- is nearing.

“This is the third request for extension by the Philippines so that it can comply with UNCLOS,” he said at the Kapihan sa Senado Thursday.

He said he is confident the law will be enacted before the deadline even with Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, constantly out of the country as she campaigns for a seat at the International Court of Justice.

Pimentel said he disagrees with Santiago’s interpretation that adopting an archipelagic baseline system for the Philippines violates the Constitution.

At the same time, he said the congressional version on the baselines that include the disputed Spratlys Islands and Scarborough shoals is not a declaration of war with China.

“We do not want to quarrel with China, just to comply with UNCLOS. This is not a battle with China, we just want to assert our jurisdiction over our territorial seas and exclusive economic zone,” he said.

Pimentel said that whatever disagreement China may have with the congressional version of the Philippine baseline law should be settled before the appropriate UN agency.

http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/spratlys/view.php?db=1&article=20080327-126742

RP in last minute scramble to beat UN deadline on territorial claim (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/86021/RP-in-last-minute-scramble-to-beat-UN-deadline-on-territorial-claim)
VERA Files
03/24/2008 | 10:13 PM

(Last of two parts)

http://images.gmanews.tv/webpics/2008/0803_map.jpg

First of two parts: Arroyo neglect, gov't infighting jeopardize RP's territorial claim

MANILA, Philippines - A month before the May 13, 2009 deadline, the Philippine government intends to submit a claim before the United Nations over its extended continental shelf, which scientists and legal experts say include the resource-rich Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and other disputed territories.

If the UN upholds this claim, the Philippines would have the exclusive right to exploit the KIG’s vast natural resources, including an estimated 200 billion barrels of oil. The KIG is part of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea also being claimed wholly or in part by China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

The huge amounts of oil, natural gas, minerals and polymetals, such as gold, silver, iron and nickel, off the seas of the KIG could “greatly contribute to the growth of the economy and uplift the socio-economic condition of the Philippines," said the University of the Philippines Institute of International Legal Studies (UP-IILS).

But the prize that is the KIG will not come easy. Laying claim to the extended continental shelf requires a complex and concerted series of scientific, diplomatic, and legislative efforts. Scientists and academics estimate the process could take from three to 10 years and eat up billions of pesos. If the Philippines misses the deadline, it will lose its claim forever.

Stressing the importance of the claim for an extended continental shelf, Prof. Harry Roque, an international law expert, says: “The majority of oil we derive today is no longer from land territory but from the continental shelf."

The UNCLOS defines continental shelf as “the seabed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea." It is the natural underwater extension of the land up to the point where it either gradually descends or drops off into the ocean floor. Under UNCLOS, a continental shelf of up to 200 nautical miles from the archipelagic baseline automatically belongs to a State and no proof of claim is required.

A continental shelf that goes beyond 200 nautical miles is called the outer limits or the extended continental shelf. States may claim an extended continental shelf of up to 350 nautical miles from the baseline. To prove that the continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm, a State would have to conduct hydrographic and geoscientific studies and submit the data to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). Some parts of the KIG are about 230 nautical miles from Palawan.

Atty. Henry Bensurto, head of the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs (CMOA) Secretariat, says the government plans to submit to the CLCS on April 13, 2009 the technical data proving that the KIG and Scarborough Shoals are part of the country’s extended continental shelf. But Prof. Teodoro Santos, formerly of the UP National Institute of Geological Sciences (NIGS) had urged the government to submit the claim by 2007, “since the CLCS has to review the submissions and make relevant suggestions, for the State to respond to."

Santos, in a paper presented to the UP-IILS in 2002, identified three areas where the Philippines could claim an extended continental shelf: the KIG west of Palawan; Scarborough Shoal (Isla Bajo de Masinloc) west of Zambales; and Benham Rise, off the Bicol Region in the Pacific Ocean.

Of these three areas, he said KIG is the “most promising with respect to petroleum and natural gas." In terms of the equivalent in billion barrels of oil within the area of the KIG, he said the Chinese have the highest estimate at 100 to 200 billion barrels, with Russian sources estimating a low of seven billion barrels.

“The Scarborough shoal is made up of mid-oceanic ridges formed during the extension of the South China crust, which are presently adding to the growth of Western Luzon by accretion. Similarly, the Benham Rise is an extinct volcanic ridge added into the eastern margin of Luzon," said Prof Mario Aurelio of the UP-NIGS. He added, “The strongest pieces of evidence the Philippines can present for its claim over these areas are geological, geophysical and tectonic data."

The extent of the continental shelf is measured from the country’s baseline, the line connecting the basepoints that define, in longitude and latitude, the archipelagic boundaries. But the bill amending and redefining the archipelagic baseline remains pending in Congress.

The existing baseline law, passed and amended in the 1960s, used the Treaty of Paris to define Philippine boundaries. The Treaty of Paris is the 1898 agreement in which Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States. The baseline law needs to be amended and harmonized with UNCLOS provisions, in particular the doctrine of archipelagic states which draws a straight archipelagic baseline “joining the outermost points of the outermost islands and drying reefs of the archipelago."

All Congress needs to do is adjust the country’s baseline using UNCLOS’ Article 47, which says that basepoints must be part of the main archipelago, and must not be more than 100 nautical miles long.

But the bill amending the baseline, House Bill 3216 authored by Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco, got caught up in the controversy that recently surrounded the Spratly Islands and the Joint Maritime and Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) between the Philippines and China. As a result of the various amendments to it, the Cuenco bill now includes within the baseline both Scarborough Shoal and the KIG which are not part of the main archipelago.

“Instead of merely correcting the technical and clinical aspects of the baseline, somehow it has broadened to include territorial issues and when you include territorial issues it gets complicated," Bensurto said.

Approved on second reading, the Cuenco bill drew protests from China. “If the Philippine side forcefully puts Scarborough Shoal and some other NANSHA reefs and islands inside the baseline of Philippine territorial sea, it will…. disturb China-Philippine cooperation in the area, exerting negative impact on the healthy development of our bilateral relations," said the Chinese démarche or official position dated December 2007, a copy of which was sent to Cuenco by the Philippine embassy in China.

The bill had to be thrown back to the committee on foreign affairs for further debates and possible revisions following China’s protest. Hearings are scheduled to resume on April 4. At the Senate, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV filed a counterpart bill, which has not been acted upon.

Congress does not need to pass the baseline law before May 2009, but the UN will still need a revised baseline as a reference point when deciding on the Philippine claim. “For as long as you’re not clear with your baseline, then there’s difficulty moving forward," Bensurto pointed out. “The baseline is the first step in putting your archipelagic house in order."

A clear baseline helps draw the line separating national and international waters and defines the limits of Philippine responsibility. All maritime regimes or zones are reckoned from the baseline. The 12-mile territorial sea is the area where the State enforces its laws and exploits its resources. The 24-mile contiguous zone, beyond the 12-mile territorial sea, is where the State has the right to pursue smugglers, illegal fishers, illegal immigrants, and customs and tax evaders. The 200-mile exclusive economic zone is where the State has the right to exploit and develop the resources in the sea. The 200 nautical mile continental shelf is where the State can exploit the resources all the way down to the seabed. According to CMOA’s Bensurto, these various maritime zones represent an additional 93 million hectares of water that are the responsibility of the Philippine government.

“When your territory is confused and your baseline is confused, it is also confusing to your law enforcement agencies. In a contiguous zone, it's a quarantine and immigration area, if you don't know where that line is, you don't know when to shoot a ship and when not to shoot a ship," Bensurto explained. “The whole point is to harmonize the (baseline) law with the UNCLOS."

Last December, the various member agencies of CMOA agreed to adopt the position that the country’s baseline would be the lines enclosing the main archipelago (see CMOA illustration). KIG as well as Scarborough Shoal would be treated as “regimes of islands" that are part of Philippine territory but outside the baseline. Besides, even if KIG and Scarborough Shoal are not within Philippine baseline, they will still form part of the country’s extended continental shelf. KIG is considered part of Palawan province and are part of Philippine territory by virtue of Presidential Decree 1596.

Whatever moves the government takes regarding KIG and Scarborough Shoal, however, it would have to take into account neighboring countries, which also consider the islands part of their own territories or continental shelves. Hence, alongside the scientific and legislative efforts must come diplomatic negotiation.

Bensurto pointed out that the filing of a claim with the CLCS will not settle territorial disputes. In fact, the UN body will not rule on a claim if it involves disputed territory. Suzette Suarez, formerly with UP-IILS and now with the CLCS, agreed with Bensurto, saying: “The CLCS will not examine and qualify a submission by any State in cases where a land or maritime dispute exists unless there is prior consent given by all States that are parties to the dispute."

Suarez added: “If the Philippines claims at least 200 nm of continental shelf, it will already stand to have overlaps in some areas of the continental shelf with Palau, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei. Vietnam, China (and/or Taiwan) and Japan."

In the KIG, the issue is not one of overlapping continental shelves between adjacent or opposite states but one of territorial dispute among the different claimant states. The same is true for Isla Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) since it is disputed by the Philippines and China (and Taiwan). Since Benham Rise is located on the Pacific side of the Philippines, which is without any opposite State within 400 nm, it will stand to have no issue of overlap.

“The government must settle conflicts of interest with other states," said the late legal luminary and UP law professor Haydee Yorac in a roundtable discussion on the Philippines’ maritime jurisdictions in 1991. “As good fences make good neighbors, treaties and conventions which establish clear boundaries of power and operation will minimize interstate disputes." - Luz Rimban, Booma Cruz, Yvonne Chua, Ellen Tordesillas, Chit Estella and Jennifer Santiago

VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look into current issues. Vera is Latin for "true."

Repairs on Pagasa airstrip face delay – PAF
03/28/2008 | 04:02 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Improvements on the airstrip at Pagasa Island would have to wait further as the private contractor hired for the project backed out of its obligation, the chief of the Philippine Air Force said Friday.

Instead, construction would be continued by military engineers even as the delivery of construction materials would depend on the weather condition in the area.

"The contractor was supposed to start the improvement activities as early as last February. Unfortunately, the contractor backed out from even initially performing as contracted…so we are now back again to zero," Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog told reporters.

Cadungog said the private contractor, which he did not identify, had asked for an additional P69 million for the project, more than double compared to the original contract price of P31 million.

The project involves the lengthening of the runway and the resurfacing of some of its eroded portion. In its present condition, Cadungog said the runway endangers the safety of landing aircraft.

"The (private contractor) backed out and claim that they cannot do it unless we increase the amount to P100 something million. That’s unfair to us," Cadungog said.

Noting that the conduct of any rebidding is already too late and considering the onset of the rainy season, Cadungog hoped that good weather would allow the Philippine Navy to transport the construction materials needed.

"We can start (the improvement) in April if the weather permits. Because it is the Navy which would be involved in the transportation (of the construction materials)...so we are taking advantage of the summer time," he said.

Likewise, Cadungog said that the quarters of Air Force personnel detailed at Pagasa Island would be refurbished.

"I was informed that the Air Force billeting there are dilapidated so I ordered for an estimate of the bill of materials....This is one thing that I cannot to neglect, the billeting," he said.

Cadungog maintained that the forthcoming improvement of the runway and of the billeting of the Air Force personnel would not run contrary to the existing Code of Conduct forged with other claimant countries.

"No, no. We are free to go there anytime…no violation at all," he said.

Pagasa Island is the largest of about eight territories occupied by the Philippines at the disputed South China Sea.

Believed to be rich in oil and other mineral resources, the Spratlys is being claimed in whole or in part by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. - GMANews.TV (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/86671/Repairs-on-Pagasa-airstrip-face-delay--PAF)

Views while plane is landing in Puerto Princesa Airport, Palawan:

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Utakan lang naman dito eh. Palusot lang yung mga history-histopry na yan.

Have you ever wondered why we are going after Sabah and claiming our basis is because it belongs to the Sultan of Sulu and allegedly historically part of the Philippines, however we have not though of claiming back our lost territory when the American sarrived. Guam and other pacific islands which has been part of Las Islas Filipinas for 300 years or more.

Philippine Islands is from Spratlys to Guam

Reconsider stand on Kalayaan, Palace tells House
04/06/2008 | 10:24 PM

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang urged the House of Representatives Sunday to reconsider pending legislation that seeks to enclose the Kalayaan Islands and the Scarborough Shoals within the country's archipelagic baselines.

Executive secretary Eduardo Ermita wrote a letter to Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr dated April 4, reiterating the Palace stand treating the Kalayaan group of islands as a "regime of islands."

"The Executive’s position is consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which provides that an archipelagic state, such as the Philippines, may consist wholly of one or more archipelagos and may include other islands," Ermita said in his letter, excerpts of which were posted on the Office of the Press Secretary Web site (www.news.ops.gov.ph).

Ermita, who chairs the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs (CMOA), recalled that this position was relayed through the Department of Foreign Affairs during the hearings of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on House Bill 1202.

He said this position was arrived at after a series of inter-departmental discussions and consultations with legal luminaries on international law.

"As an archipelagic state, our archipelagic baselines should be drawn along the general configuration of the archipelago, while the other islands shall have normal baselines," he added.

Ermita assured the House that not enclosing the Kalayaan Islands and Scarborough Shoal within the archipelagic baselines does not mean giving up our sovereignty over these islands.

Treating Kalayaan Islands and Scarborough Shoal under the “regime of islands" is consistent with the fact that they are integral parts of an archipelagic Philippines, he said.

Ermita also stressed that the Executive’s position will not diminish our exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.

Quoting the UN Convention, Ermita explained that an island that can "sustain human habitation or economic life of it own? generates its own territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf." - GMANews.TV (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/87965/Reconsider-stand-on-Kalayaan-Palace-tells-House)


Palace request for review of Spratlys bill in House deplored

By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080407-128930/Palace-request-for-review-of-Spratlys-bill-in-House-deplored)
First Posted 16:37:00 04/07/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- A request by Malacañang to the committee on foreign affairs at the House of Representatives to review the baseline bill involving the disputed Spratly Islands has been deplored by the panel chairman, saying this will merely delay the passage of the measure.

Despite his feelings on the matter, however, Cebu Representative Antonio Cuenco will still convene the body on April 21, or before the House resumes its sessions at 4:00 p.m.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita has written to Speaker Prospero Nograles to ask the House to reconsider the bill and treat the disputed Spratlys as a “regime of islands, instead of enclosing it in the country’s archipelagic baselines.”

“I’m not happy. Siyempre, prerogative ng Congress [to craft its own version of the bill],” Cuenco said over the phone Monday when asked to comment on Ermita’s letter.

“With due respect to the executive’s position, I don’t agree with them. However, I will submit to the will of the majority,” he said.

Cuenco said the Palace’s proposal would mean a delay in the approval of the bill as it would have to be sent back to the committee for amendments.

House Bill 3216 was approved on second reading in December 2007 but has remained pending on the floor for third and final reading.

And the Cuenco maintained that once a measure has been approved on second reading, it could not longer be recommitted to the committee.

Cuenco also pointed out the need to pass the bill in compliance with the May 2009 deadline provided for under the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea.

“This is why I deplore the executive position because it will just delay the approval of the bill. It will result in a delay if we send it back to the committee,” he said.

“It’s a delay that I’m concerned about. We have to work fast on this, time is running out,” he said.

http://images.google.com.ph/imgres?imgurl=http://dialybiendong.tripod.com/nuocViet_files/image003.jpg&imgrefurl=http://dialybiendong.tripod.com/nuocViet.htm&h=529&w=405&sz=39&hl=en&start=136&tbnid=t8JRGVjE9d5KwM:&tbnh=132&tbnw=101&prev=/images%3Fq%3DUNCLOS%26start%3D120%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

The Solution for the Spratly Islands Ought to Look Like This
By Mark J. Valencia, Jon M. Van Dyke and Noel LudwigPublished: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1995

HONOLULU: China's pledge in July, at the annual meeting of the Association of South East Asian Nations, that it would negotiate disputes over ownership of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea according to international law, and discuss the issue with ASEAN as a group, has set the stage for a solution.

The six claimants — China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei — start fresh talks with Indonesian officials this Tuesday to try to ease renewed tension over the disputed area, a potentially rich zone for undersea oil and natural gas.

What does international law say about possible solutions? The main guidance is provided by previous international agreements, rulings by the International Court of Justice, and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Beijing has said it will use the convention as a basis for negotiations, although of the six claimants only the Philippines and Vietnam have actually ratified it.

The precedents in international law suggest that all the claims to sovereignty over the Spratly Islands — a group of tiny islets, sand cays and reefs scattered widely over the southern sector of the South China Sea — are weak.

The historic record supporting the claims of China, Taiwan and Vietnam is incomplete and intermittent, and would probably be unconvincing to the International Court of Justice.

None of the claims to the Spratlys, including the more recent claims of Malaysia, the *Philippines and Brunei, is supported by the requisite continuous and effective control, administration and governance.

*("Instead of exerting the country's claim over Spratlys through a baseline bill, Santiago proposed that the government make an "effective occupation'' of the disputed islands.

“The Philippines has already exercised many political and administrative acts of a sovereign nature over Scarborough Shoal. Such acts include military exercises, establishment of lighthouse, enforcement of laws against foreign vessels and nationals, which are evidenced by historical data,” the senator said." - Baseline bills to reduce RP’s territory, Santiago warns http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=126396)

Even if some of the sovereignty claims were to prevail, these tiny outcrops in the sea do not appear to be legally qualified to generate surrounding exclusive economic zones out to 200 nautical miles, or the even more extensive continental shelves. According to the Law of the Sea Convention, rocks that cannot sustain human habitation or an economic life of their own cannot be the basis for such zones; nor can artificial islands.

Only some 26 features in the Spratly chain are above water at high tide. The largest has a land area of less than half a square kilometer, and only six others are bigger than 0.1 square kilometer. None of them has ever sustained *a permanent population. Vietnam has already taken the position that these islets should not generate extended maritime zones, and other countries in the region seem to be moving toward this view.

*(Municipality of Kalayaan - http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/municipality.asp?muncode=175321000&regcode=17&provcode=53)

Even if the Spratlys were deemed to be the source of extended zones, they would not have equal weight to do so in relation to the larger land masses that surround the South China Sea. The International Court of Justice and other tribunals have consistently ruled that small islands do not play an equal role in determining maritime boundaries, and sometimes are ignored altogether.

For example, Vietnam and Malaysia have continental shelf claims extending well into the Spratly area, and these claims would be considered superior to any claims based on the islets.

If the court were asked to determine the maritime boundaries in the area, it would probably define the area in dispute, measure relevant coastlines and identify significant geographical features to be taken into account. It would develop provisional boundaries based roughly on median lines, check to see whether those lines violated "equitable principles," focusing in particular on the relative coastline lengths and relying on a rough sense of fairness to each claimant. It would then adjust the lines accordingly.

In a maritime boundary settlement following such principles and ignoring the Spratlys and the Paracel Islands in the northern part of the South China Sea (which Chinese forces seized from Vietnam in 1974), China-Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines would gain roughly equal areas.

Although most of the Macclesfield Bank southeast of the Paracels would go to China-Taiwan, it would not get any of the Spratly geologic block further to the south. The Philippines would get the northwestern portion of the Spratlys, including the Reed Bank. Malaysia would get two sizable sectors off its states of Sarawak and Sabah separated by Brunei's narrow corridor.

Sovereignty over the Spratlys themselves might be allocated based on the sector in which they are situated, or might eventually fall to the present occupants. But in either case, sovereignty would be limited because the islets would generate only a 500-meter safety zone or perhaps a territorial sea out to 12 nautical miles. The Spratlys would be demilitarized and open to access for peaceful purposes by other claimants.

("The EEZ is a strange concept in international law where a small country can actually multiply several times its effective territory. France, for instance, has only 0.45 percent of the earth’s land area but it has eight percent (11 million sq kms, No. 2 in the world, behind the U.S.’s 11.35 million) of EEZ. Why? Because it conquered many territories.

The archipelagic concept, meanwhile, states that “the islands, waters and other natural features form an intrinsic geographical, economic and political entity.” To protect that territory, you need firepower, credible firepower, which we don’t have. Our navy ships are older than the navy captains and admirals who command them. Without armed power, expect more than 100 years of tension in the Spratlys to enforce our claim." - 79 hectares of claims,
100 years of tension http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/15/yehey/opinion/20080315opi5.html)


If the claimants could not agree to an allocation scheme, the UN Law of the Sea Convention requires them to establish a provisional arrangement. The convention also urges cooperation in semi-enclosed seas as well as sharing of the resources in areas beyond 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones.

These principles taken together favor a dramatically different option — multilateral joint development of an agreed area.

One logical approach would be for China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei to set aside their claims for now and establish a multilateral Spratly Management Authority.

The authority would administer the contested area, which could be defined in several possible ways. Our preferred option would be to define it as the area beyond a line halfway between the coastline of the South China Sea and the disputed features in the Spratlys.

The claimant states could be given weighted voting shares in a governing council and financial responsibility in the authority in rough relationship either to their coastline lengths or the original extent of their claims. In either case, China-Taiwan would have a substantial portion of shares, benefits and costs.

Decisions would normally be made by consensus, but when voting became necessary, substantive decisions on matters affecting the entire area would be taken by a two-thirds vote of the assigned shares.

Decisions affecting a particular location might require a majority of the votes in the governing council as well as a majority of the claimants to the affected area. Nonclaimant states in the region — and perhaps concerned maritime nations outside the region — might have a voice, but not a vote, in the operation of the Spratly Management Authority.

The multilateral joint development solution to the Spratlys imbroglio should be attractive, since all claimants would be sharing in the proceeds from the exploitation of resources in and under the disputed waters. The continuing discord and threat of conflict now dominating the region are discouraging investors.

If a cooperative solution could be developed, the claimants would be working together to explore and develop oil and gas, manage fisheries and maintain environmental quality. Such cooperation would greatly reduce the chances of miscalculation and dangerous confrontation.

Other powers not involved in the Spratlys dispute, including the United States and Japan, would be highly supportive because safety and freedom of navigation would be assured through the South China Sea, which is an important maritime highway for naval and commercial shipping of many nations.

Mr. Valencia is a senior fellow in the program on international economics and politics at the East-West Center in Hawaii. Mr. Van Dyke and Mr. Ludwig are specialists on international law and resources at the University of Hawaii. They contributed this comment to the International Herald Tribune.

http://www.iht.com/articles/1995/10/10/edmark.t.php?page=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ph_Territorial_Map.png

http://www.seafriends.org.nz/fcl/NZeez2mr.gif

^^China is also claiming it based on history... hmmm...

I also wonder how they will merge the Taiwan and Chinese claim...

If the Spratlys are so far out from mainland China, does it mean we can also lay claim to Paracel Islands?

It is interesting to note how new studies crop up seasonally to claim how it was a thousand years ago. If history AND the new studies were to be the basis for anything, thence all of the Spratleys / Spratlys, large tracts of real estate in Luzon and parts of the Batanes chain (as claimed by Taiwan) will no longer belong to R.P. but to someone else.

Even to my untrained eye, the mainlander Asians are too far away to claim ownership. It is the archipelagic Asians (Phils, Brunei, Malaysia) who are closer to the islands, with Philippines (Palawan) being the closest. Alas, we also have the weakest military.


Utakan lang naman dito eh. Palusot lang yung mga history-histopry na yan.

Have you ever wondered why we are going after Sabah and claiming our basis is because it belongs to the Sultan of Sulu and allegedly historically part of the Philippines, however we have not though of claiming back our lost territory when the American sarrived. Guam and other pacific islands which has been part of Las Islas Filipinas for 300 years or more.

I have oft wondered out loud about the entire Spanish East Indies. But it had been said that the Pacific isles of the Marianas, Carolines, Guam, Saipan were “sold” to Germany, who then lost it to Japan in World War I, and then Japan in turn lost it to the US in World War II. Rigodon lang naman ang Musical Chairs ata dito, e. (Of course, being the little brown brothers that pinoyes are, they would never dare take this up with the great white anglo-saxon father.) Nahuhulog na ‘to sa spoils of war or to the victors the spoils. (World War II)

Back to the the main question! The US already owned the whole Spanish East Indies after 1898 including all the Spratlys and the Marianas, Carolines, Guam, etc. so there was no point in doing musical chairs if they really wanted to settle in Guam for bases. So why sell to Germany? To my mind, the US at the time was not really interested in the outer fringes of Las Filipinas.



Our title over our islands derives from the 1898 Treaty of Peace between Spain and the United States: “Spain cedes to the United States the archipelago known as the Philippine Islands, and comprehending the islands lying within the following line: ….” Significantly, the Spratlys lie within those lines demarcated within the treaty limits. (The United States paid Spain the sum of $20 million. It could’ve been a neat real estate deal, except that we, the dark-skinned natives, were only accidentally part of the package—and proudly waged war.)

On the other hand, our claim over the waters and the maritime zones derive from the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea, which grants us the sole exploitation rights over our natural resources within our Exclusive Economic Zone (which extends to 200 nautical miles around the coastal state) and, more relevant to fossil fuel extraction, to our continental shelf (defined as the “natural prolongation of the land mass” up to the same 200 nautical mile limit).


Source: http://services.inquirer.net/print/print.php?article_id=20080314-124585

The mainlander Asians being stronger militarily and economically are really pushing it, whilst the archipelagic Asians can only watch in futility being weaker in most aspects. Pity. Like I said, any high school student can clearly see that the Spratlys lies closer to Palawan than to any of the other claimants. But instead of looking around for scapegoats, part of the blame can also go to us for consistently landing in the topmost brackets of most corrupt nation in Asia and squandering precious resources which would have been put to better use strengthening the economy and military.

House to back Palace on Spratlys if claim stays--Nograles
April 08, 2008 18:22:00
Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net (http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/spratlys/view.php?db=1&article=20080408-129136)

MANILA, Philippines -- The House of Representatives is willing to adopt Malacañang’s position on the controversial baseline bill so long as there is an assurance that the country will not lose its claim on the disputed Spratlys, Speaker Prospero Nograles said on Tuesday.

“The House may seriously consider Malacañang's proposal but we want to make sure that it will not have any repercussion on our claims," Nograles said in a statement.

Malacañang is pushing for a review of House Bill 3216 defining the country’s territory to include the Kalayaan Group of Islands and the Scarborough Shoal in the South China.

In a letter to the Speaker over the weekend, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita asked the House to reconsider the bill and treat the Spratlys as a “regime of islands” instead of enclosing it within the country’s baselines.

And while he respects the position of the Palace, Nograles also raised the possibility that the executive might be wrong on this issue.

"Malacañang can be right but it can also be wrong. We have to be very careful about this," he said.

But Nograles said he himself would support the Palace’s stand on the bill “provided it could guarantee that this would not endanger the country's legal claim on the disputed areas in the South China Sea.”

Nograles wants to find out though if other claimants -- China, Vietnam, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Taiwan -- do not have legislated territorial lines similarly putting enclosures in the disputed areas.

He also wants to know if the other claimants have submitted such documents to the United Nations.

"This baseline bill, once it becomes a law will be a permanent document that will be submitted to the UN and we don't want to weaken our claim on these territories based on technicality,” he said.

"Once we submit our baseline to the UN, it becomes a permanent record so we really have to balance this issue very carefully,” he pointed out.

Congress is under pressure to pass the bill, which has been pending for approval on third and final reading in the House, to meet the May 2009 deadline provided for under the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS).

Nograles has advised Cebu Representative Antonio Cuenco, chairman of the House foreign affairs committee, to carefully study the bill and look at the merits of the executive’s position.

Nograles said the committee would be in the best position to make a stand on this issue because it has conducted exhaustive hearings and studies which might go for or against the position of Malacañang.

The Baseline issue:a position paper
by Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV

Last August 2007, this author filed Senate Bill No. 1467 entitled “An Act Defining the Archipelagic Baselines of the Philippine Archipelago, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act No. 3046, as Amended by Republic Act No. 5446.” or otherwise known as the “Archipelagic Baselines Law of the Philippines.” The bill was the result of a series of consultations primarily with former Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani, who first pushed for the Baselines bill way back in 1993. It basically defines the archipelagic baselines to include the Scarborough Shoal and designates the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) as a “regime of islands.” To further facilitate the passing of the bill, the technical details provided by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) as enumerated in House Bill No. 1202 filed by Congressman Antonio V. Cuenco as well as its other provisions were adopted in toto. Congress, however, filed HB 3216 that substituted for HB 1202.

Recently, controversies arose with the discovery of the particulars of the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) being conducted by RP, China and Vietnam within the waters off Palawan. Thereafter, Malacanang pressured Congress to revert HB 3216 back to the Committee on Foreign Relations ostensibly to push for certain amendments. These two seemingly unrelated events inevitably pushed the baselines issue at the top of the national policy agenda. Given this context, now is the best time for us to finally resolve this issue.

This paper intends to explain and justify the position adopted in SB 1467 and differentiate it with the other options, as well as to clarify other closely related subjects surrounding the baseline issue.

PD 1599, TREATY OF PARIS and UNCLOS

The first time the author studied the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) agreement was in 1994 as part of a course in International Law given to graduating cadets of the Philippine Military Academy who intend to join the Philippine Navy. The course focused on the UNCLOS provisions particularly: the archipelagic doctrine; the coastal state’s rights and duties within the territorial sea, contiguous zone and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ); the right of innocent passage; the doctrine of hot pursuit; and other provisions concerning enforcement of maritime laws.

After graduating, however, the new Navy officers were surprised to find out that the NAMRIA-supplied nautical charts used aboard Philippine Navy ships defined the territorial limits of the country as those stated in the Treaty of Paris plus the attached KIG borders defined by PD 1596, and not the UNCLOS definitions as taught to them at PMA. To be fair, NAMRIA has no other basis than the Treaty of Paris because our country, precisely, has yet to pass a new baselines law that would amend the pre-UNCLOS baseline law, the RA 5446, which is not compliant with the UNCLOS criteria. To complicate matters, the Navy uses PD 1599, a pre-UNCLOS unilateral declaration of our country’s EEZ, as a mandate to enforce maritime laws in these areas. As a consequence, the author remembers that when their ship patrolled as far east as the Anson Shoal in the Pacific, they used the Treaty of Paris as reference. And when they patrolled as far west as the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, they used PD 1599. In short, as of the moment, we have two sets of boundaries (PD 1599 and Treaty of Paris with PD 1596) and we will yet define another one (UNCLOS).

1. PD 1599, as mentioned above, is a unilateral declaration by the Philippines of its EEZ as measured from the baselines as defined by RA 5446. It was signed by then Pres. Ferdinand Marcos on 11 June 1978.

2. The Treaty of Paris is a peace treaty forged between the US and Spain in 10 December 1898. It detailed, among others, the territorial limits of the Philippine archipelago as being ceded by Spain to the US. These same limits were then used to define our national territory when we eventually gained indepedence from the US in 1946.

3. The UNCLOS, formally known as the Third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS III and also called the Law of the Sea Convention, refers to the international agreement that came out of the UN conferences from 1973 to 1982. The agreement consists of 320 articles and 9 annexes. To date, 155 countries have already ratified the UNCLOS and it officially came into force in 16 November 1994. The Philippines became the 11th country to ratify UNCLOS on 08 May 1984. It defines, among others, the limits of the territorial sea, contiguous zone and the EEZ of a coastal or archipelagic State.

Each of the above reference options has its own strengths and weaknesses, but if we are to consider both the validity in International Law and the area covered, the UNCLOS option is superior to the other two.

PD 1599, while almost as vast as the UNCLOS option in terms of area, has practically no binding effect in International Law by virtue of its being a unilateral declaration in the pre-UNCLOS era. Moreover, since we have ratified UNCLOS and, therefore, agreed to its provisions, we are obliged to rescind PD 1599.

The Treaty of Paris, meanwhile, may still have a binding effect in International Law, notwithstanding the UNCLOS ratification. However, its total area covered is significantly smaller because it cannot avail of the EEZ provisions of the UNCLOS.

As to the legal alternative of retaining the Treaty of Paris while availing of the UNCLOS option, we, as a self-respecting people living within a community of nations, should not have two sets of boundaries that we can use for our own convenience. It is simply not fair; it is simply not right. Therefore, it is in our country’s best interest to adopt solely the UNCLOS option.

THE BASELINE METHODS

Baselines are reference lines drawn by a coastal or archipelagic State using different methods as discussed below. They are used to measure the breadth of the territorial sea (12nm), contiguous zone (24 nm), EEZ (200nm) and continental shelf (up to 350nm). Also, the waters enclosed by the baselines are called archipelagic waters over which an archipelagic State exercises sovereignty.

According to the UNCLOS, there are three methods that can be employed in determining a State’s baselines, namely:

1. Normal Baseline, according to Art. 5, “is the low-water line along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal State.”

2. Straight Baseline, according to Art. 7, can be employed if ever “the coastlines are indented and cut into or there is a fringe of islands along the coast in its immediate vicinity.”

3. Archipelagic Baseline, according to Art. 47, is a method of “joining the outermost points of the outermost islands and drying reefs of an archipelago provided that within such baselines are included the main island and an area in which the ratio of the area of the water to the area of the land, including atolls, is between 1:1 and 9:1.”

Of the three methods, the archipelagic baselines method is most applicable and advantageous to an archipelago such as ours. Otherwise, to use either the Normal or Straight baseline methods, which are primarily designed for coastal States, would effectively waive our status as an archipelagic State and lose much of the archipelagic waters as defined above.

THE BASELINE OPTIONS

NAMRIA has prepared the following baseline options to cater to the varying political persuasions of the policymakers:

1. OPTION 1: The main archipelago and Scarborough Shoal are enclosed by the baselines while KIG is classified as regime of islands. This is the option adopted by SB 1467.

2. OPTION 2: Only the main archipelago is enclosed by the baselines while KIG and Scarborough Shoal are classified as regime of islands. This is the official position of Malacanang through recent pronouncements and the DFA position paper written on 02 Aug 2005.

3. OPTION 3: The main archipelago and KIG are enclosed by the baselines while Scarborough Shoal is classified as regime of islands.

4. OPTION 4: The main archipelago, KIG and Scarborough Shoal are enclosed by the baselines. This is the option adopted by HB 3216.

To have a better view of the differences between the baseline options, the table below (which includes RA 5446) was lifted from the briefing documents prepared by NAMRIA.

http://www.ellentordesillas.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/baseline-options1.jpg

RA 5446: There are a few weaknesses in RA 5446. One, it violates para 2 of Art. 47 of UNCLOS where it states: “The length of such baselines shall not exceed 100 nautical miles except that up to 3 percent of the total number of baselines enclosing the archipelago may exceed that length, up to a maximum of 125 nautical miles.” As we can see from the table, RA 5446 has one baseline that exceeds the 125nm limit for long baselines.

Another weakness of RA 5446 is: it does not optimize the area of the EEZ since it excluded both Scaborough Shoal and KIG from the baselines and both were not designated as regime of islands.

OPTION 1/ SB 1467: The main strength of this option is that it maximized the area by including Scarborough Shoal without violating the archipelagic baselines provisions by classifying KIG as regime of islands. It is, therefore, UNCLOS compliant.

However, there are some misconceptions regarding the label “regime of islands” that it supposedly weakens our claim or reduces our sovereignty over the areas labeled as such. On the contrary, “regime of islands” is defined in Art. 121 as: 1) island/s that is naturally formed, surrounded by water and is above water at high tide; and 2) it shall have its own 12nm territorial sea, 24nm contiguous zone, 200nm EEZ and continental shelf. In other words, islands classified as regime of islands are treated the exact same way as other land territory. The only possible reason that coastal States would be forced to classify their territory as a regime of islands is because such territory is impossible to enclose within the baselines without violating other UNCLOS provisions. The Falkland island group is one example. Since the UK is at the other end of the Atlantic which made it impossible to include Falkland in its own baseline, it has no choice but to classify Falkland as a regime of islands. The US (if ever it ratifies UNCLOS) would probably classify Hawaii as a regime of islands by virtue of its distance from the mainland.

The Scarborough Shoal was included in the baselines primarily because its distance from Luzon is less than the 125nm limit. With this, our country stands to gain approximately 14,500sq nm of EEZ and continental shelf. Another reason for its inclusion is that Scarborough Shoal is basically a rock and according to para 3 of Art. 121, the regime of islands definition has an exception and that is: “Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.” Therefore, while it is advantageous for us to designate KIG as a regime of islands, we would be depriving ourselves of the EEZ and continental shelf of Scarborough Shoal if it would be designated as a regime of islands.

Of course, China is expected to protest the inclusion of Scarborough Shoal within our baselines. Probably, it may even be the reason why Malacanang pressured Congress to freeze legislative action on HB 3216. But if we truly believe that our claim over Scarborough Shoal is legitimate then we have every right to enclose it within our baselines. This does not mean, though, that we are provoking China into a war because, according to Art. 279, State Parties to the UNCLOS are obliged to settle any dispute by peaceful means.

OPTION 2/MALACANANG OPTION: The main weakness of this option is, while it is UNCLOS compliant, it failed to protect the interest of our country by not including Scarborough Shoal in the baselines when there is no hindrance to do so. True, this option designates Scarborough as a regime of islands but, as discussed above, a rock formation is not entitled to an EEZ and continental shelf when labeled as such. Even if it will still have its own territorial sea and contiguous zone, these would have no effect in terms of additional area since the EEZ measured from west coast of Luzon will extend over these zones.

OPTION 3: There are several weaknesses with this option. Aside from those mentioned in Option 2 with the designation of Scarborough Shoal as regime of islands, this option is also not UNCLOS compliant for including KIG in the baselines. This will be discussed extensively below since Option 4 also included KIG in the baselines.

OPTION 4/HB 3216: At first glance, this may seem to be the best option. However, it violated para 4 of Art. 47 which states: “Such baselines shall not be drawn to and from low-tide elevations, unless a lighthouse or similar installations which are permanently above sea level have been built on them or where a low-tide elevation is situated wholly or partly at a distance not exceeding the breadth of the territorial sea from the nearest island.” Based on the table above and HB 3216 itself, Sabina Shoal and Iroquois Reef are low-tide elevations. A low-tide elevation, according to Art. 13, “is a naturally formed area of land which is surrounded by and above water at low-tide but submerged at high tide.” Hence, we still need to construct a lighthouse each on these areas so that they can qualify as basepoints. Even this measure, however, is no longer possible because of the “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea” which was signed by the ASEAN members and China in 2002. In the declaration, we agreed “to exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability including, among others, refraining from action of inhabiting on the presently uninhabited islands, reefs, shoals, cays, and other features and to handle their differences in a constructive manner.” Both Sabina Shoal and Iroquois Reef are presently uninhabited but are being claimed by RP, China and Vietnam.

Another major defect of Option 4/HB3216 is, as we can see from the table, seven of the designated basepoints are islands presently occupied by other countries. According to the Digital Gazetteer of the Spratly Isands, these are: Kalantiaw Cay (Vietnam); Paredes Reef (Vietnam); Kagitingan Reef (China); Mariveles Reef (Malaysia); Pugad Is. (Vietnam); Kanluran Reef (Vietnam) and Investigator Reef (being claimed by China). To insist on using these islands/reefs as basepoints is in contravention of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and may cause outrage among affected States. Designating basepoints on uninhabited, though contested areas such as Scarborough Shoal can be defended legally and politically. But to place basepoints on foreign-occupied territory, no matter how strong our claim, is an act of aggression.

If the proponents of Option 4/HB 3216 have not yet realized this, then the information provided by this paper, hopefully, will make them reconsider.

In view of the discussions above, the best option to adopt is Option 1 as stated in SB 1467.

The SPRATLY ISSUE

As explained above, the passing of SB 1467 will not weaken our claim over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) or what is internationally known as the Spratlys. Still, the fact remains that, we are only one of many claimants in that group of islands. Of these, only Brunei has not physically occupied its claimed territory. According to the Digital Gazetteer of the Spratly Islands (it admits the reports are varying), Vietnam has occupied 25 islands; China, 13; RP, 8; Malaysia, 5; and Taiwan, 1.

With this situation, it is impossible to expect a scenario where all these countries will just suddenly pack up and go home. On the contrary, we should even expect some of these claimants to assert their presence more in the coming years to explore potential oil deposits amidst the increasing demand and diminishing oil reserves elsewhere. In such a scenario, skirmishes are not unlikely as our Navy ships and fishing boats are regularly navigating these waters. In the meantime, nobody gets to benefit from whatever rich natural resources the area has to offer.

There are several avenues enumerated in the UNCLOS as regards conflict settlement, foremost of which is the mutual agreement of all claimant States. But after factoring in the unpleasant experiences (including our own) of countries conducting joint development agreements with China (Wain 2008), it may be best to strengthen ties within the ASEAN first. This way, our collective position would be at parity with China in any future agreement. This is the only peaceful way to resolve this issue.

The JMSU ISSUE

The Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) was initially entered into by RP and China on 01 Sept 2004. Vietnam initially voiced concern as it was a violation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (Wain 2008). But at some point, Vietnam was won over when it was included in the project. Because of this, it is now officially called a Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in The Agreement Area in the South China Sea.

The JMSU agreement is highly flawed for the following reasons:

1. It smacks of bad faith on our part as it was forged without consulting with the other members of the ASEAN while there was an existing status quo agreement among them. (Wain 2008).

2. It excluded other claimant States like Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan.

3. It was grossly disadvantageous on our part because it included areas that were not disputed.

4. Because some subject areas are solely ours, it violated certain provisions of Art. XII of the 1987 Constitution relating to the exclusive use of our own marine wealth or, if it is a joint exploration, the President’s obligation to submit such agreement to Congress within 30 days.

5. We are not at parity with China in terms of the actual conduct of the exploration since we are relegated to mere observers aboard their research vessels. Hence, there can be no guarantees about the integrity of the research results.

The CONTINENTAL SHELF

According to para 1 of Art. 76 of the UNCLOS, “the continental shelf of a coastal State comprises the sea-bed and subsoil of the submarine areas that extend beyond its territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of its land territory to the outer edge of the continental margin, or to a distance of 200nm from the baselines from which the territorial sea is measured where the outer edge of the continental margin does not extend up to that distance.”

According to para 6 to 8 of Art. 76, a coastal State is allowed to claim the outer limits of a continental shelf beyond the 200nm but not exceeding 350nm from the baselines as long as the information on the said limits are submitted to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS). The CLCS would then make the recommendations to the coastal State regarding the outer limits and the adoption of which would make it final and binding.

Art. 4 of Annex II, on the other hand, states: “Where a coastal State intends to establish, in accordance with Art. 76, the outer limits of its continental shelf beyond 200nm, it shall submit particulars of such limits to the Commission along with supporting scientific and technical data as soon as possible but in any case within 10 years of the entry into force of this Convention for that State.”

Since the UNCLOS officially entered into force 16 November 1994, supposedly, the ten-year deadline would have expired on 15 November 2004. However, because of the difficulties encountered by developing countries in coming up with technical requirements of Art. 4 of Annex II, a decision was made during the May 2001 Meeting of State Parties to UNCLOS to extend the deadline to 12 May 2009. (Sands 2005: 5).

With this, our country has a little over a year to submit the particulars of our continental shelf beyond the 200nm to the CLCS. Thus, it is imperative that all pertinent institutions of government provide and extend all the necessary support to NAMRIA to make sure that it accomplishes its mission on time.

To compound this deadline problem, we still do not have a new baselines law from which to measure the outer limits of our continental shelf. While there is no deadline in the submission of particulars for a State’s baselines, it is, however, the basis for measuring all maritime regimes including the extended continental shelf (VERA Files 2008). Therefore, we should pass the new baselines bill even way before the 12 May 2009 deadline to give NAMRIA ample time to adjust their data on our continental shelf, assuming that it would have the necessary data by then.

The SABAH CLAIM

The approval of SB 1467 is without prejudice to our existing claim on Sabah. Although the bill is not as explicit as Sec. 2 of RA 5446 where it mentioned that RP has dominion and sovereignty over Sabah, still Sec. 5 of SB 1467 states that the baselines law shall be without prejudice to other claims. To be sure, Article I of the 1987 Constitution has already covered our claim over Sabah and other similarly situated territories and no law can possibly override this Constitutional provision.

Having said that, the Sabah claim will always be a lingering issue for as long as we will not be brave enough to confront it. Sadly, all the administrations since 1986 refused or lacked the political will to resolve it.

As things stand, our country has a strong existing legitimate claim over Sabah, on behalf of the heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu. On the other hand, Malaysia had been in actual possession and control over the island for more than a century now and, worse, the inhabitants of Sabah have expressed their desire to remain under Malaysian rule. Hence, it is very unlikely that Malaysia would give up its claim even with extreme pressure from the international community.

Maintaining status quo may be the preferred option of our past and present National leaders so as to avoid either being accused of selling-out our interests, or creating tension in diplomatic ties with Malaysia. However, maintaining status quo is favorable to Malaysia as they continue to possess, control and exploit Sabah. Moreover, as time passes by that the issue is not resolved, the farther removed are we from the actual circumstances on how Malaysia got to possess Sabah in the first place, which is essential to proving our claim. And, of course, the heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu are continuously deprived of their inheritance.

War is definitely not an option not only because our armed forces are ill-equipped for such an endeavor but, more importantly, because we, as a people, have not reached and is nowhere near the level of nationalism and patriotism necessary for launching a politically, socially and economically costly undertaking such as a full-scale war with another country.

Pragmatically, therefore, the only option to resolve the Sabah issue is a compromise settlement between RP, Malaysia and the heirs of the Sultanate of Sulu. The author concedes, however, that even this option would not be easily accomplished but then again, reasonable men will always reach a point of agreement.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Push for the passing of SB 1467 and its counterpart in Congress before May 2009 so that there will be a basis for measuring the outer limits of the territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. More importantly, so that our country can now officially claim the limits of our National Territory that is consistent with the international covenant of UNCLOS.

2. Push for the submission of particulars of the outer limits of the continental shelf to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf before the 12 May 2009 deadline by supporting NAMRIA and other concerned agencies in their data gathering.

3. On the assumption that recommendations 1 and 2 as stated above are achieved, we should do the following:

A. Modernize our fishing methods and technologies;
B. Invest heavily on marine scientific research and exploration of the EEZ and continental shelf;
C. Reach out to other claimant States of the contested territories in order to settle disputes and come up with an agreement for joint exploration and development so that all these States can finally benefit from the abundant natural resources in these areas.
D. Comply with the other UNCLOS obligations of an archipelagic State.

4. Modernize the Navy and Coast Guard. Logically, the next step after having firmly and clearly established our territory is to protect it. Aside from the basic demands of naval defense, we should increase our capability for maritime law enforcement operations.

5. Conduct a legislative inquiry on the Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking.

CONCLUSION

As shown in the discussions above, the baseline issue is quite technical and highly complex because of the interplay with other equally important national security, economy and foreign policy issues. But after carefully analyzing these issues separately, this paper tried its best to come up with reasonable and feasible courses of action which, hopefully, would be given due consideration. Still, everything starts when we finally make a stand, as a Nation, by defining the limits of what is truly ours and what will be good for our country now and in the generations to come.

http://www.ellentordesillas.com/?p=2346

Scarborough Shoal and coastal Zambales

http://www.oceandots.com/pacific/scarborough/i/scarborough3.jpg

Up close
http://www.oceandots.com/pacific/scarborough/i/scarborough2.jpg

A long time ago Palawan was recognized and clustered as one of the Visayan islands. It was evidenced by books and other publications.
Medical organizations and other societies in the Visayas , particularly Western Visayas included Palawan (e.g. Philippine College of Surgeons Panay Chapter with Palawan and Romblon). The Archdiocese of Jaro (Iloilo) still covers Romblon Province

In the 1970's when regionalization was created, the province of Palawan (including Romblon )was clustered under Region VI (Western Visayas) with Iloilo City as the regional capital. The number regions of the Philippines then was 12. That was why PAL had still Iloilo-P'to Princesa trips while Negros Navigation had Bacolod-Romblon-Manila trips before.

After the 1987 constitution and government was established, Palawan (together with Romblon) were annexed into Region IV (Southern Tagalog). Me and my classmates in school that time had consumed lots of hours "correcting" our books because Palawan was still a Visayan island as published and with the addition of CAR and NCR was made also.
Later they called it Region IV-B which was later called MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan)

In 2005 Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed an order to reinstate Palawan back to the Visayas as a part of Region VI (Western Visayas):banana:

But i have noticed that it seems like Palawan is not yet being included in most of maps as a Visayan island (particularly Region VI), but still as in MIMAROPA. Even though the Palawan PNP is now transfered under Western Visayas, Palawan is still recognized as MIMAROPA. I'm confused.:ohno:^^

Is Palawan not agreeable with the move of the president that they will be returned to Western Visayas? or are there other reasons?

If that is so, why not convert Palawan into a Region itself and make Cuyo, Cagayancillo, Kalayaan Islands and the Calamianes as its new provinces?

What do you think people?^^

Did you know that China is making claims on Palawan (and Spratley islands)? They have occupied Spratley already.

Settle first the international claim of China before the internal dispute.

erased

Lamkian Cay occupied by the Philippineshttp://farm2.static.flickr.com/1211/857903434_861da040af.jpg


Pag-asa Island occupied by the Philippines

THEN
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1036/857191135_a5037f1491.jpg?v=0

NOW
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1007/857177081_064634f106.jpg



TOMORROW
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1258/857936820_33be4ce9b3.jpg :nuts:

Solons: Some islands in baselines not in RP’s possession
April 18, 2008 07:49:00
TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines -- A top legislator on Thursday called on the House of Representatives to restudy its position on a bill redefining the country’s archipelagic baselines because it might prompt adverse international reactions.

Majority Leader Arthur Defensor said officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs pointed out in a briefing at Malacañang Thursday that the proposed baselines in the bill covered islands not in the Philippines’ actual possession.

He pointed out that the baseline in House Bill 3216 included islands in the disputed Spratlys chain “occupied” by Vietnam and China.

“So we will be forcing also China not to recognize our sovereignty and our position and occupation of islands,” the lawmaker said.

He added, “There’s a danger that we might be giving up our definite foothold on the recognition by the international community of our original archipelagic baselines.”

Defensor proposed that the chair and members of the House committee on foreign relations should attend another briefing on the proposed baselines and its “international implications” when sessions resume next week.

HB 3216, which passed on second reading in December, is scheduled for approval on third and final reading. The DFA had sought its review after China protested the inclusion of the Spratly islands in the baselines.

Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco, chair of the foreign relations committee, had said he would push for its approval at the resumption of sessions. Speaker Prospero Nograles said he would not stop a vote on the measure and said he expected it to be approved by majority of the lawmakers.

The bill seeks to amend Republic Act No. 3046 and RA 5446, the laws that define the country’s maritime borders, which were found not to match an international maritime convention.

Beijing has aired its displeasure over the bill’s provisions which seek to include the Kalayaan Group of Islands, Scarborough Shoal and the waters off Zambales in the Philippine baseline.

Nograles and Cuenco had said that any “adjustments” could be introduced at the bicameral conference, where the House and Senate versions would be reconciled.

http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/spratlys/view.php?db=1&article=20080418-131140

Lower House tackles baseline bill as session resumes
04/21/2008 | 11:36 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Members of the Lower House of Congress kicked off the resumption of session Monday with an executive meeting on the controversial baseline bill, which covers the disputed Spratly Group of Islands.

Radio dzBB's Rowena Salvacion reported that House Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr joined deliberations on House 3216 by the House foreign affairs committee headed by Rep. Antonio Cuenco.

Earlier, Nograles said he is optimistic that lawmakers can come up with a formula on reconciling conflicting positions between Congress and the Executive department, and proposed that the baselines issue should be discussed through the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac).

Nograles had also previously asked Malacañang to guarantee Congress that its position on the territorial baseline bill in the disputed Spratlys will not endanger the country’s claim on the territory.

“This baseline bill, once it becomes a law will be a permanent document that will be submitted to the UN and we don't want to weaken our claim on these territories based on technicality," Nograles earlier said.

In a letter to Nograles, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, chair of the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs (CMOA), had requested the Lower House to treat the disputed territory as mere “regime islands" instead of declaring it as part of the country’s territorial baselines. - GMANews.TV (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/90615/Lower-House-tackles-baseline-bill-as-session-resumes)

No rush to meet UN deadline on Spratlys bill--Santiago

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080422-131946/No-rush-to-meet-UN-deadline-on-Spratlys-bill--Santiago)
First Posted 12:55:00 04/22/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- There is no rush to meet the United Nations May 2009 deadline for a baseline bill because the world body does not penalize countries that do not meet it, said Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, chairperson of the foreign relations committee.

"The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea does not impose a compulsory duty for archipelagic states to draw their baselines because the convention states that 'the State may draw.' It does not say 'shall draw,'" she told reporters Monday afternoon.

"There is no penalty if you don't declare your baselines," she added.

The discussions on the baseline bill were postponed for three weeks at the House of Representatives to allow for consultations with the Senate and the executive department.

The House version, which passed on second reading, seeks to enclose the disputed Spratlys Islands and Scarborough Shoals within the country's baselines. But the executive department rejects this proposal, arguing among others that it will heighten the conflict in the region.

"The baselines bill is another mistake. In the first place, these people who have been so voluble in the media do not realize the profundity and the complexity of the baselines issue," Santiago said.

"Akala nila basta magdrawing ka ng baselines, tapos na [They think that if you simply draw the baselines, that’s it]. And they included certain contested islands there. There are many complications there. The boundaries of the Philippines will become very much smaller if we declare it an archipelagic state under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea because the boundaries of the Philippines, as specified in the Treaty of Paris are so much wider. So why should we be in a hurry to narrow down our own internal waters?" she asked.

The senator said she wrote about the archipelagic doctrine for the Philippine Law Journal of the University of the Philippines when she was taking her masters at the University of Michigan.

Santiago, under whose committee the measure will be discussed, suggested instead that experts be invited to shed light on the different aspects of the baseline bill.

"My proposal is to convene a commission of experts. That is the problem with the Senate. This is a very highly technical subject, and everyone is just shooting his mouth off for a sound bite. You cannot do that with this very complicated legal issue," she said.

Controversy has surrounded the bill as it involves the Spratlys Islands, different parts of which are being claimed by six countries -- the Philippines, China, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

Arroyo men snub House Spratlys inquiry
April 24, 2008 07:58:00
Norman Bordadora Maila Ager Tetch Torres
Philippine Daily Inquirer INQUIRER.net (http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/spratlys/view.php?db=1&article=20080424-132347)

MANILA, Philippines—Invitations to the executive branch for a House inquiry into the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) are being turned down, raising fears that the probe will be compromised.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Navy flag-officer-in-command Vice Admiral Rogelio Calunsag and Government Corporate Counsel Alberto Agra have declined the invitations sent by Cebu City Rep. Antonio Cuenco.

Teodoro in his April 22 letter said the Department of National Defense was still waiting for “guidance” from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on the attendance of Armed Forces Western Command commander Commodore Ruperto Borromeo in the JMSU probe because it might involve diplomatic and security matters.

Teodoro referred to the Supreme Court ruling in the case of retired Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani against Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita “relative to the consent needed by an AFP officer from the Commander in Chief to attend events such as congressional deliberations.”

Executive vs legislative

“This might create another controversy between the legislative and the executive departments,” Cuenco told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).

Senior Minority Leader Roilo Golez’s motion to have the JMSU investigated was approved by the House plenary in March.

The issues raised by Golez were constitutional, considering its alleged go-ahead for China and Vietnam to explore Philippine territory in the South China Sea, and strategic in light of the possibility of having oil and gas reserves in the area of study.

Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño in March said there were suspicions that the JMSU was tied to the Chinese-funded projects that came to the Philippines after it was first signed in 2004.

Casiño said that the non-attendance of those invited “might hamper the House’s power to investigate matters brought to its attention.”

Committee chair in US

Cuenco also said that the joint investigation slated next Tuesday, April 29, might not push through after Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo reportedly ordered his committee on energy to forego any hearing until his arrival from the United States.

The House plenary in March designated Cuenco’s committee on foreign affairs, Arroyo’s energy panel and Pangasinan Rep. Arthur Celeste’s committee on national defense to conduct a joint hearing on the JMSU.

The committee on rules headed by House Majority Floor Leader Arthur Defensor said that no hearing could proceed if one of the committees did not have a chair present or an authorized vice chair to preside on his behalf.

Until now, Cuenco said, Defensor's committee has not yet responded to their request to proceed with the hearing next week.

No pinch hitter allowed

Calunsag in his letter on April 21 told Cuenco that he would attend a conference at the Armed Forces’ General Headquarters on the scheduled hearing.

He said he would be represented by officers from the naval staff for intelligence and the navy’s office of strategic studies “who are knowledgeable on the matters that will be discussed.”

Agra said his office had nothing to do with the JMSU entered into by the Philippine National Oil Co. with the state-owned oil firms of China and Vietnam.

Cuenco said he had received information that Arroyo had given orders to his committee that no meeting or hearing would be conducted until his return on May 10.

“He doesn’t want us to pinch hit for him. He wants us to defer,” Cuenco said.

It’s ours

Administration critics are pushing for the JMSU investigation, saying that the government has given up its sovereignty over the disputed Spratly Islands when it entered into the agreement signed in 2004.

But Malacañang on Wednesday insisted that the Kalayaan Group of Islands, located within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone of the country, were “part of Palawan.”

“It’s our territory having been declared before as Kalayaan Group,” said Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita at his regular press conference, pointing out that the islands comprise Kalayaan, a fifth-class municipality of Palawan, and has one village, Pag-Asa.

“Definitely, it’s ours,” he said. “No question about this.”

The Spratlys, which includes the Kalayaan Group, is a cluster of mineral-rich islets and reefs being claimed in whole and in part by China, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

The JMSU issue is tied up with the deferment of the passage on third reading of House Bill 3216, or the so-called baselines bill, which aims to include the Kalayaan Group and Scarborough Shoal within the country’s baselines.

The proceedings for the bill were postponed to allow further consultations between the House and Senate to reach a consensus regarding the country's baselines, Ermita said.

Ermita reiterated that the government’s actions, including elevating the matter to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), which several lawmakers have opposed, were not caused by pressure from China which had objected to its passage.

"Malacañang has a position that we will, in the meantime exclude the Kalayaan…We find that if we include the Kalayaan [group] in our baseline, we will have to include the Chinese- and Vietnamese-occupied portions," Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez maintained the tripartite pact with China and Vietnam offered a peaceful solution to the South China Sea dispute. "We want to maintain good relations with our neighbors," he said.

Besides, he said, "How can we include that [Kalayaan] in our baselines? We might have to go to war against China and Vietnam."

Arroyo sails to Tubbataha for dive trip--marine park exec (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20080424-132463/Arroyo-sails-to-Tubbataha-for-dive-trip--marine-park-exec)

By Redempto Anda
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 17:47:00 04/24/2008

PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines -- Immediately after noontime Thursday, the divemaster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo gave word they were already aboard the presidential yacht BRP Ang Pangulo, said Angelique Songco, park manager of the Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park.

"We are not aware of her coming but Tubbataha is just there, probably the President just wanted to keep it that way (avoiding coordination)," said Songco.

Earlier in the day, the Tubbataha Management Office said Arroyo was scheduled to make a trip to Tubbataha but cancelled it last week during a dinner meeting with Palawan Governor Joel T. Reyes.

"We were told by Governor Reyes last week that the President's trip which was supposed to be today (Thursday) was cancelled. We don't know yet if they are making another schedule," Songco said.

Another Philippine Daily Inquirer source, who requested anonymity, said they were expecting Arroyo's daughter Luli to join her mother if and when the Tubbataha visit pushes through.

"We expect Luli to also make the trip as she is a known fan of Tubbataha who had assisted in the campaigns," the source said.

The presidential daughter is a volunteer campaigner for Tubbataha under the auspices of the World Wildlife Fund Philippines.

Luli has reportedly helped put pressure on the Department of Justice and other government agencies in order to prosecute Chinese fishermen with pending poaching cases in Tubbataha last year.

Santiago won’t act on baseline bill
April 25, 2008 14:19:00
Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines -- Efforts to pass the baseline bill, which is intended to define the national territory, suffered another setback after Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who chairs the committee on foreign affairs, decided on Friday not to act on the proposed measure.

“In my case, since I’m the chair of the committee, I’m certainly not going to act on [the bill],” Santiago told reporters after a hearing on a resolution proposing a congressional committee on national territory.

“That’s [inaction] one way sometimes of killing a bill or I will simply give them the lowest priority,” she said.

On Monday, the House foreign affairs committee headed by Cebu Representative Antonio Cuenco agreed to defer approval on third and final reading of the Lower House’s version of the proposed legislation pending consultations with senators and the executive department.

House leaders, however, said they remain confident the bill, which seeks to include the disputed Spratlys Islands and Scarborough Shoal within the country’s baselines, will be passed before Congress adjourns on June 13.

Malacañang has suggested it wants the Kalayaan Islands Group, the part of the Spratlys claimed by the country, excluded from inclusion within the country’s baselines to maintain good relations with other claimants, including China, which has openly voiced its opposition to the baseline bill’s passage.

Under the United Nations on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), each state-member has to draw its baselines before May 2009.

However, after listening to experts invited by her committee to shed light on the issue, Santiago stressed the need for further study of the matter before they can consider the baseline bill.

Among the resource persons invited to attend the hearing on a joint resolution for the creation of a congressional commission on national territory were Professor Merlin Magallona of the University of the Philippines, National Mapping and Resource Information Authority administrator Diony Ventura, and Foreign Affairs undersecretary Rafael Seguis.

Magallona told the committee that acceding to the UNCLOS would degrade the “traditional function” of the country’s baselines, particularly on the issue of the “right of innocent passage by foreign vessels.”

At present, the right of innocent passage is allowed only within the territorial seas, which extend 12 nautical miles from the country’s baselines, but is strictly prohibited within the internal waters.

Acceding to the UNCLOS would open both bodies of water to innocent passage by foreign vessels.

After the hearing, Santiago contended it would be a violation of international law if the country insists on including the Spratlys within its baselines since the [B]drawing of baselines has “never been an accepted method of acquiring authority.”

“There are other methods such as, for example, effective occupation -- that’s the common [practice] today -- or discovery [or] conquest,” she said. “But [the] drawing of our archipelagic baselines is not [one] of them so, if we include this Kalayaan Group of Islands just by drawing…archipelagic baselines, we would already be violating international law.”

http://www.inquirer.net/specialfeatures/spratlys/view.php?db=1&article=20080425-132667

Other than for the love of country, we will surely lose this island chains from the chinese like what they did to paracel islands which belonged to vietnam historically, and now tibet.

I tell you China is in the expansion mode. If the US have not felt its presence in taiwan, it would have folded back to mainland long time ago.

As you will see later on in your life, justice is for the mighty and powerful. President Roosevelt is right, speak softly but carry a big stick!

If Japan failed to recover its island from the soviets after the war, and paracel of vietnam, what chances do we got?

Spratly islands eyed as a tourist destination (http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Local%20News&p=54&type=2&sec=2&aid=2008050420)

Sunday, May 4, 2008 08:08 PM

MANILA (AP) - Want to dive in disputed waters?

A team of marine and eco-tourism experts has begun assessing the potential of transforming a Philippine-occupied island in the contested Spratly archipelago into an ultimate tourist hideaway, officials said.

The experts, who began their weeklong study Thursday, will study if Pag-asa, the largest of nine islands and reefs occupied by Philippine forces, could be turned into a dive spot and resort, Rosendo Mantes, mayor of island's township, said today.

"If you want to leave the noisy world and be nearer to almighty God, then that is your place," Mantes told The Associated Press.

Ms. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ms. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo are TRAITORS!

Both do not deserve their title of senator and president of the Philippines.
Elected officers by the people, FOR the INTEREST and GOOD of the people, should PERSUE the INTEREST and SOVEREIGNTY of the COUNTRY'S PEOPLE!!!

The citizens of the Philippines are CLAIMING the Kalayaan Islands and Scarborough Shoals FOR ITS BEST INTEREST & FOR THE PROTECTION OF IT'S SOVEREIGNTY !!!!!!!!

Ms. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ms. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo are more DEFENDING the INTEREST of China THAN of the Philippines and its countrymen !!!!

They are TRAITORS of the Philippines!!!!


_________________________________________________________________



I am highly frustrated that filipinos NEVER fights for its own best interest and prefer to be a puppet of more richer and powerfull nations.

I am sick of it!!

We, filipinos, should be proud of ourselves rather than degrade ourselves.
We should fight for our brothers and sisters, but mostly for our HOME.
We should make our country one of the best and sovereign country in the world.
We should help enriche our homeland and stop back-stabbing our own countrymen.

I say: "Be PROUD Filipinos, for The Philippines is a home to be PROUD of !!!!"

^^HUH?!? May naligaw ata dito

May 5, 2008
OPINION
China's Naval Secrets
By RICHARD D. FISHER JR.
FROM TODAY'S WALL STREET JOURNAL ASIA
May 5, 2008

Experts attempting to understand the strategic aims behind China's
aggressive military expansion have generally focused on Taiwan.
But a new naval base points at Beijing's significant and growing
interest in projecting power into waters far from the Taiwan Strait.
China, in fact, is equipping itself to assert its longstanding and
expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea, and this plan could
raise tensions well beyond the region.

The new base is near Sanya, a city on the southern tip of Hainan Island.
It's an ideal place for a naval base, and a significant expansion
compared to the nearby naval base in the port city of Yulin. Sanya
features much larger piers for hosting a large fleet of surface
warships, a new underground base for submarines and comfortable
facilities that would attract technically proficient soldiers and
sailors. Its location will allow China to exert greater dominance over
disputed territories of the South China Sea; to place a much larger
naval force closer to sea lanes crucial to Asia's commercial lifeblood;
and to exercise influence over the critical Straits of Malacca.

While construction of this new base has only recently been visible via
commercial satellite imagery, since 2002 military and security officials
in three Asian governments have conveyed to this analyst details, and at
times concerns, about China's construction of a major naval base at
Sanya. It's not just a matter of the base's existence, but of what
Beijing appears to intend to do with it. Officials in two of these
governments have pointed to a unique feature of this base: a large new
underground facility designed to house nuclear and nonnuclear
submarines. In a conversation at an academic confernece in late 2004, a
general in China's People's Liberation Army admitted that Beijing was
building a new base on Hainan, but denied there was an underground
facility.

New high-resolution satellite imagery, however, appears to belie the
general's statement. Acquired by Jane's Information Group from
satellites of the DigitalGlobe Corporation, this commercially available
imagery shows cave openings around the Sanya base consistent with
another known PLA underground submarine base in Jianggezhuang near the
Bohai Gulf. Other openings on the opposite side may have facilitated
excavation or could serve as weapon- or supply storage areas.

The size of the underground submarine facility is unknown, although one
Asian military source has suggested it will hold at least eight
submarines. There is space in this area for a supported underground
structure that could house more than 20 subs.

Sanya will prove crucial to China's strategic nuclear and power
projection ambitions. The Bohai Gulf in the north of the country, the
location for the base of the first PLA nuclear ballistic missile
submarine (SSBN), is too shallow to support nuclear deterrent patrols.
But with the opening of the Sanya base, China's new Type 094 SSBNs can
soon find safer 5,000-meter-deep operating areas south of Hainan Island.

The Pentagon projects that the PLA will build five Type 094 SSBNs.
Should the submarinelaunched ballistic missiles on these submarines
contain multiple warheads, as some Asian military sources suggest, the
SSBN fleet based at Sanya could eventually house up to half of the PLA's
total nuclear missile warheads.

As such, China is going to invest in the facilities and forces needed to
defend these vital strategic assets. Sanya has piers necessary to base a
far larger force of surface warships, a new large pier, and many new
housing and headquarters buildings in this attractive resort area. Both
to protect its SSBNs and to defend China's growing interest in securing
sea lanes to critical resources in distant areas like Africa, the
Persian Gulf and Australia, Sanya can be expected to host future
Chinese aircraft carrier battle groups and naval amphibious projection
groups. Some Chinese sources suggest that the PLA could eventually build
four to six aircraft carriers.

This concentration of strategic naval forces at Sanya will likely
heighten China's longstanding desire to consolidate its control over the
South China Sea. In 1974, 1988 and 1995, China used military force to
capture Vietnamese- and Philippine-controlled or claimed islands and
reefs. Its most recent acquisition, Mischief Reef, located about 200
kilometers off the Philippine island of Palawan, now contains two large
concrete structures. The PLA appears to have a constant ship presence in
this reef, which is very close to one of Asia's key maritime
superhighways.

Now Beijing also has the Sanya base at its disposal. And sure enough, in
mid-November 2007, the PLA held major naval and air exercises south of
Hainan near the disputed Paracel Islands, prompting protests from
Vietnam. Either in conjunction with this exercise or soon after, the
first Type 094 SSBN moved to Sanya, where it is today -- as caputured by
DigitalGlobe satellite images. The implication is clear: Sanya will
serve as a base from which to assert China's dominance in the crowded
South China Sea. China and the U.S. have already tangled around Hainan.
On April 1, 2001, a U.S. Navy EP-3 electronic reconnaissance aircraft
flying in international airspace near Hainan tangled with a PLA Navy jet
fighter. The Chinese pilot died, but in the fight, forced the damaged
U.S. aircraft to land on Hainan and endure a humiliating disassembly by
PLA intelligence services. This is likely a foretaste of the sensitivity
China will accord U.S. or other naval forces that seek to monitor
China's nuclear naval operations -- aimed in large part at the U.S.

* * *

While conflict with China over this region need not be preordained,
there is a clear need to request that Beijing explain the content and
purpose of its new large naval base at Sanya. China's potential to base
a large force of nuclear weapons so close to the region covered by
ASEAN's 1996 nuclearfree-zone treaty would at a minimum appear
inconsistent with Beijing's pledge to sign protocols to this treaty.
Furthermore, the Philippines' lack of any credible air or naval forces
to defend its contiguous sea lanes, upon which much of Asia's commerce
depends, creates a dangerous power vacuum.

China's movement of nuclear and future large-scale conventional naval
forces to Sanya may fill this vacuum, but the interests of Tokyo, Seoul,
New Delhi, Canberra and Washington will also be engaged. China's buildup
in Sanya is a clear illustration of the need for China to respond to
calls by Japan, Australia and the U.S. for greater military
transparency. The only other prudent alternative is for these countries
to increase their cooperation to defend their interests in deterring
nuclear threats and threats to maritime safety.

----------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Fisher is a senior fellow at the International Assessment and
Strategy Center. This essay is based on an article in the May issue of
Jane's Intelligence Review.

Other than for the love of country, we will surely lose this island chains from the chinese like what they did to paracel islands which belonged to vietnam historically, and now tibet.

I tell you China is in the expansion mode. If the US have not felt its presence in taiwan, it would have folded back to mainland long time ago.

As you will see later on in your life, justice is for the mighty and powerful. President Roosevelt is right, speak softly but carry a big stick!

If Japan failed to recover its island from the soviets after the war, and paracel of vietnam, what chances do we got?

The best chance the SE Asian countries has is to unite against China's expansionism.

United, we stand. Divided, we fall.

The governments of the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Vietnam should be talking to each other and end China's divide and conquer strategy.

SC asked to nullify marine agreement

MILITANT LAWMAKERS yesterday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to declare unconstitutional a controversial 2004 marine research pact with China and Vietnam.

In a 55-page petition that also sought for a stay order, the lawmakers said the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking "covers territories, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone clearly and undisputedly owned by the Republic of the Philippines, as well as... the disputed Spratly Group of Islands."

They noted that production-sharing agreement in exploration activities under the Constitution, can only be entered into with a Filipino firm or a company with at least 60% local ownership.

The lawmakers are Bayan Muna Reps. Satur C. Ocampo and Teodoro A. Casiño, Gabriela Reps. Liza L. Maza and Luzviminda C. Ilagan, all party-list groups; and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo R. Tañada III (4th district), and Bukidnon Rep. Teofisto L. Guingona III (2nd district).

Named respondents were President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Executive Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, as well as the state-owned Philippine National Oil Co. and its exploration arm.

While the government has maintained that the venture is only a pre-exploration activity involving seismic studies and area researches, the petitioners claimed the studies are already part of exploration activities "to detect and determine the existence or extent of oil or gas deposits beneath the Earth’s surface."

By allowing two other state-owned oil firms — the China National Offshore Oil Corp. and Vietnam Oil and Gas Corp. — to engage in the activities, they claimed the government gave up its prerogative over the area since its participation will always need concurrence from the two other countries.

This has effectively compromised the national economy and patrimony, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity, the lawmakers said.

The issue once hogged headlines as an offshoot of the National Broadband Network mess that involved Chinese firm ZTE Corp.

Critics claimed the marine activity was in exchange for the allegedly overpriced $329-million ZTE deal; the project has been scrapped by the President.

The issue revived the country’s claim over the disputed oil-rich islands, and raised the need to immediately define the archipelagic baseline to beat a deadline set by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on or before May 13, 2009.

The House of Representatives was set to approve a baselines bill that seeks to encompass the Spratlys, but deferred a final decision pending consultations with the Senate and Malacañang. The Chinese government has opposed the bill in a letter sent to the House foreign relations committee. — Ira P. Pedrasa
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW052208/content.php?id=074


Senate asked to OK body on territorial claim

THE SENATE yesterday was asked to approve the creation of a body that will formulate the country’s claim to the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago recommended the plenary’s approval of Joint Resolution 12 which seeks to create the Congressional Commission on National Territory.

"The approaches taken in dealing with territorial problems are piecemeal and crisis-oriented, apparently on the assumption that national territory is fragmented into separate issues, each to be resolved by disconnected attempts and thus resulting in halfway and makeshift solutions," she said.

Congress is scrambling to pass a law that seeks to define the country’s territorial boundaries as set in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) that all archipelagic states must submit claims for an extended continental shelf (ECS) on or before May 13, 2009.

But Ms. Santiago said the Philippines is "not obligated to submit a claim," adding that Article 47 of UNCLOS does not compel archipelagic states to draw baselines, and that there will be no sanctions for failure to define baselines.

The bicameral body will be composed of 10 members with equal representation from the Senate and House of Representatives.

The commission will submit a report not later than Dec. 31, 2008 on the impact of UNCLOS, prioritizing constitutional issues, boundaries, areas of possible conflict with other multilateral international treaties, legal status and effectiveness of Batas Pambansa Resolution 121 concurring in the UNCLOS, ECS claims and assessment of the country’s sovereignty over KIG and Scarborough Shoal as claimed by other countries. — Bernard U. Allauigan

Philippines has no right to Spratlys (http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/05/21/2003412479)

By Chen Hurng-Yu 陳鴻瑜

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, Page 8
The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has set a deadline of May 12 next year for claims submissions, and signatory nations to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea have been quickening their pace in enacting related laws.

The Philippines is no exception, and both houses of Congress have proposed bills to incorporate the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoal, the only visible part of the Macclesfield Bank, into Philippine territory, which would result in a redrawing of its continental shelf boundary lines. These actions are worthy of our attention.

On Dec. 13 last year, the Philippine House of Representatives passed House Bill 3216, which redefines the baseline of Philippine territory, on second reading. However, the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs, an office under the Office of the President, expressed reservations about the bill because it incorporated the Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands into the Philippine archipelagic baseline. This could spark regional tensions and harm cooperation with China.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs sent the baseline bill back to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for another review. The department seeks to designate the Spratlys, referred to as the Kalayaan Islands by the Philippines, as a “regime of islands” rather than enclosing them within the national baseline.

In other words, the department’s baseline would be determined separately from the Philippine archipelago.

The Philippines is also planning to expand the limits of its continental shelf from 200 nautical miles (370km) to 350 nautical miles, supposedly to gain access to the Spratlys’ natural resources and oil.

The HB 3216 baseline bill defines at least six territories, including the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal, which do not belong to the Philippines, as lying within the national baseline. It would be difficult under international law for this claim to be recognized.

Senator Antonio Trillanes advocates connecting the Scarborough Shoal with the Philippine archipelago while designating the Spratlys as a “regime of islands.” This situation would be similar to the UK’s ownership of the Falkland Islands or the US’ ownership of the Hawaiian islands.

This position adopted by the Philippines is unacceptable. The territory of the Philippines is clearly outlined in Article 3 of the 1898 Treaty of Paris between the US and Spain, which specified the boundaries using latitudinal and longitudinal positions.

Afterwards, the Philippines amended the baseline by passing the Baseline Law in 1961 and Republic Act 5446 in 1968. Presidential Decree 1596 issued in 1978 claimed the Kalayaan Islands as part of the Philippines.

These were all unilateral acts of illegal territorial expansion.

According to Article 3 of the Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the islands south of the 20th parallel of north latitude to the US. The Batanes Islands, which lie on the 21st parallel, fall outside that range and so do not belong to the Philippines.

The 1961 Baseline Law extended the northern boundary to 21˚ 7’ N. In the same way, Presidential Decree 1596 sought to annex the Spratlys into Philippine territory. Now the Philippines is attempting to take a step further by legislating all of the territory that it claims.

Signatory nations of the Law of the Sea Convention are currently determining their territorial waters, exclusive economic zones, continental shelves and even their continental shelf baselines according to the rules of the convention.

However, international law does not recognize the drawing of archipelagic baselines as a method of claiming sovereignty over a region.

The Philippines wants to annex territory that it does not own by redrawing its archipelagic baseline, but this approach gets it all backwards. This act is a clear violation of the interests of other nations and will lead to international disputes. Since 1955, the Philippines has claimed that it is an archipelago state. This claim was accepted by the convention in 1982, and so it is not in doubt.

However, the convention does not allow a self-proclaimed archipelago state to designate an island group over which it already claims sovereignty as a “regime of islands.”

This also means that the Philippines is prohibited from proclaiming “archipelagic sovereignty” over its main archipelago while claiming an additional “archipelagic sovereignty” over the Spratlys.

The Philippines is a signatory nation to the Law of the Sea Convention, and it happens to be its worst violator. It has unilaterally defined all of the waters that fall within the boundaries of the 1898 treaty as its internal waters and banned foreign ships passing through them.

Taiwanese ships and fishing boats have been serious victims of this policy. Not only are they no longer allowed to pass through those waters, they have also lost access to traditional fish markets in the nearby Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

The Philippine House of Representatives is preparing to complete the drawing of the archipelagic baseline into law before it goes into recess on June 13, but the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee has decided to postpone it.

The Philippines’ unilateral expansion of its territory should be strongly protested. The country should also be urged to rectify its territorial water claims which are in violation of the Law of the Sea Convention.


Chen Hurng-yu is a professor at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

TRANSLATED BY JAMES CHEN

Nagpost ako nuong nakaraang araw lang dito sa SSC(not the Colleges in U-belt in Manila) at ito ay may patungkol sa PALAWAN.(PALAWAN HOLDINGS INC., or PHI) - Visayas(Cities, Places, Travel and Geography)
Nagtataka ako kung bakit na-delete?

Part yung ng grand design ko para maka-posisyon ang bansang Pinas sa SOUTH EAST ASIA :ohno:

akala kasi dito ay threat na naman sa National Security :speech:


Darating ang araw na magkakaroon ng ANNEX BUILDING COMPLEX ang Camp Aguinaldo General Head Quarters dyan sa proposal ko na Palawan Holdings Inc., :)


Ano ang dahilan at bakit na na-delete ang folder ko tungkol sa PALAWAN and SULU SEA

HELP!

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/view/20080523-138246/Starfish-attack-Palawan-reefs

Starfish attack Palawan reefs
By Redempto Anda
Philippine Daily Inquirer
05/23/2008

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY – Palawan’s coral reefs are under heavy attack by the Crown of Thorns starfish, and municipal governments, even high-end resorts like Amanpulo and Dos Palmas, are seeking immediate assistance.

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on Wednesday raised concern that the heavy infestation of the Crown of Thorns (Acanthaster planci), the largest starfish species and voracious eater of hard corals, was threatening the province’s fish production.

“The numbers are too high already that there is a need for human intervention to collect and destroy these Crowns of Thorns, in the absence of natural predators that are supposed to regulate their population,” BFAR provincial head Paciano Guianan told the Inquirer.

Municipalities have reported widespread coral reef bleaching and have passed legislative measures calling for assistance from the national government. Resorts that rely on the pristine reefs to attract visitors have also asked help from the BFAR and have begun paying fishermen to collect the coral predators.

Common in tropical climates, the Crown of Thorns is found in aggregations and suck the coral polyps to death. Scientists attribute the infestation to the absence or predator species, particularly triton shells and a wrasse species that eat the starfish eggs.

Among the heavily affected area is Roxas town in Palawan’s eastern coast. Its council passed last week an ordinance setting aside money to purchase collected starfish from fishermen at P2 apiece.

“At least 300 hectares of coral reefs in nine marine protected areas (in Roxas) are already heavily affected,” Sheila Albasin, project manager of the World Wildlife Fund Philippines, said.

Dina Andres, an official of Amanpulo resort in the Cuyo Islands Group, reported that the infestation began right before summer. “It was really scary because they were so many. In Pamalican, we are doing our share by collecting and burying them in order to save the corals,” she told the Inquirer.

At one point, divers were hauling in as much as 1,200 starfish a day, Andres said.

Glessele Batin, a marine research coordinator for Dos Palmas Resorts, said over 30,000 Crown of Thorns had been collected by fishermen in Honda Bay since mid-February. “Because of these interventions, the number seems to be decreasing and the sizes of the starfish are decreasing,” Batin said.

The marine menace has not spared even the deep-sea coral reef ecosystems, such as the Tubbataha Reefs, a world heritage site and protected area, in the middle of Sulu Sea over 80 nautical miles from the city.

^^ PM the Mods here of your concern


Philippines has no right to Spratlys (http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2008/05/21/2003412479)

By Chen Hurng-Yu 陳鴻瑜

Wednesday, May 21, 2008, Page 8
The UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has set a deadline of May 12 next year for claims submissions, and signatory nations to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea have been quickening their pace in enacting related laws.

The Philippines is no exception, and both houses of Congress have proposed bills to incorporate the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoal, the only visible part of the Macclesfield Bank, into Philippine territory, which would result in a redrawing of its continental shelf boundary lines. These actions are worthy of our attention.

On Dec. 13 last year, the Philippine House of Representatives passed House Bill 3216, which redefines the baseline of Philippine territory, on second reading. However, the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs, an office under the Office of the President, expressed reservations about the bill because it incorporated the Scarborough Shoal and the Spratly Islands into the Philippine archipelagic baseline. This could spark regional tensions and harm cooperation with China.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs sent the baseline bill back to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs for another review. The department seeks to designate the Spratlys, referred to as the Kalayaan Islands by the Philippines, as a “regime of islands” rather than enclosing them within the national baseline.

In other words, the department’s baseline would be determined separately from the Philippine archipelago.

The Philippines is also planning to expand the limits of its continental shelf from 200 nautical miles (370km) to 350 nautical miles, supposedly to gain access to the Spratlys’ natural resources and oil.

The HB 3216 baseline bill defines at least six territories, including the Spratlys and Scarborough Shoal, which do not belong to the Philippines, as lying within the national baseline. It would be difficult under international law for this claim to be recognized.

Senator Antonio Trillanes advocates connecting the Scarborough Shoal with the Philippine archipelago while designating the Spratlys as a “regime of islands.” This situation would be similar to the UK’s ownership of the Falkland Islands or the US’ ownership of the Hawaiian islands.

This position adopted by the Philippines is unacceptable. The territory of the Philippines is clearly outlined in Article 3 of the 1898 Treaty of Paris between the US and Spain, which specified the boundaries using latitudinal and longitudinal positions.

Afterwards, the Philippines amended the baseline by passing the Baseline Law in 1961 and Republic Act 5446 in 1968. Presidential Decree 1596 issued in 1978 claimed the Kalayaan Islands as part of the Philippines.

These were all unilateral acts of illegal territorial expansion.

According to Article 3 of the Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the islands south of the 20th parallel of north latitude to the US. The Batanes Islands, which lie on the 21st parallel, fall outside that range and so do not belong to the Philippines.

The 1961 Baseline Law extended the northern boundary to 21˚ 7’ N. In the same way, Presidential Decree 1596 sought to annex the Spratlys into Philippine territory. Now the Philippines is attempting to take a step further by legislating all of the territory that it claims.

Signatory nations of the Law of the Sea Convention are currently determining their territorial waters, exclusive economic zones, continental shelves and even their continental shelf baselines according to the rules of the convention.

However, international law does not recognize the drawing of archipelagic baselines as a method of claiming sovereignty over a region.

The Philippines wants to annex territory that it does not own by redrawing its archipelagic baseline, but this approach gets it all backwards. This act is a clear violation of the interests of other nations and will lead to international disputes. Since 1955, the Philippines has claimed that it is an archipelago state. This claim was accepted by the convention in 1982, and so it is not in doubt.

However, the convention does not allow a self-proclaimed archipelago state to designate an island group over which it already claims sovereignty as a “regime of islands.”

This also means that the Philippines is prohibited from proclaiming “archipelagic sovereignty” over its main archipelago while claiming an additional “archipelagic sovereignty” over the Spratlys.

The Philippines is a signatory nation to the Law of the Sea Convention, and it happens to be its worst violator. It has unilaterally defined all of the waters that fall within the boundaries of the 1898 treaty as its internal waters and banned foreign ships passing through them.

Taiwanese ships and fishing boats have been serious victims of this policy. Not only are they no longer allowed to pass through those waters, they have also lost access to traditional fish markets in the nearby Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

The Philippine House of Representatives is preparing to complete the drawing of the archipelagic baseline into law before it goes into recess on June 13, but the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee has decided to postpone it.

The Philippines’ unilateral expansion of its territory should be strongly protested. The country should also be urged to rectify its territorial water claims which are in violation of the Law of the Sea Convention.


Chen Hurng-yu is a professor at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

TRANSLATED BY JAMES CHEN

now this article is just too provocative>( Isn't the proposal of Trillanes possible?

tanong lang mga bro, kayo bang mga taga-Puerto Princesa naka-boto ng provincial officials noong eleksyon?