Recognizing the archipelagic and maritime nature of the country, then President Fidel V Ramos issued in 1994 the National Marine Policy (NMP) to guide various stakeholders in the maritime community, especially those in government, in managing the “blue economy.” The policy contains four key areas: Politics and Jurisdiction, Area Regulation and Enforcement, Area Development and Conservation, and Maritime Security. Although…
Last April 2017, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte issued Executive Order No. 16, “Directing All Government Departments and Agencies, Including GOCCs and LGUs to adopt the National Security Policy 2017-2022 in the Formulation and Implementation of Their National Security Related Plans and Programs” which stipulates thus: “Whereas, consistent with the President’s vision of a more secure, peaceful and prosperous Filipino nation,…
In the Korean War (1950-1953) between the United Nations coalition led by the military forces of the United States and South Korea against North Korea backed up by Chinese troops, the Philippines sent 3 battalions of some 7,000 personnel equipped, supplied, placed by and fought under U.S. operational command (The PMA post-WWII Class of 1951 had an early graduation, were…
The filing of a case against China was a historic moment in Philippine foreign relations: it was the first time that the Philippines resorted to an international judiciary to settle a political dispute.1 In retrospect, the effort was well worth it, at least from a legal standpoint. On 12-July-2016, three years since filing the case on 22-January-2013, the Philippines secured…
Part I Introduction: Laying the foundation for ocean governance in the South China Sea maritime region, defining the concern relating to the coastal and marine environment, and prescribing the ocean governance approach. On the occasion of the 20th ASEAN-China Summit on 13-November-2017, the Heads of States/Governments of ASEAN Member States and the People’s Republic of China proclaimed 2017-2027 a decade…
Part I “Terrorism Dominates ASEAN Talks: World Leaders Expressed Concern About Extremist Attacks — Duterte…” — Manila Bulletin headline, 16 November 2017 “By all indications and in many respects, the Philippine chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), capped by this week’s 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, was an unqualified success. The agreements reached — on the…
After the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit decision in November 2017 to go, finally, for a Code of Conduct involving the 10 ASEAN member-nations and their Dialogue Partners, particularly the People’s Republic of China, the value of FVR’s strategic decision made 25 years ago to pursue the separation of the Philippine Coast Guard – from being one of the operating units of…
Introduction: State of World Fisheries. A wake-up call for the regional seas of ASEAN and the Central Indo-Pacific. Exploitation of the global marine commons has led to the depletion of most major fish stocks, and to a growing recognition of the need to take global and regional collective action to manage fisheries resources. Freedom to Fish, among the five customary…
Many scientific researches indicate that some celestial objects collided with Mother Earth millions of years ago creating incredibly powerful explosions that led to life extinction of the dinosaurs and other pre-historic creatures. Recently there was news on a certain Planet X Nibiru that some predicted to hit the earth last month. While such risk of collision remains Mother Earth presently…
“Opportunities, goodwill, reputations, wealth and other assets once lost can be recovered – but time misused or wasted is gone forever…” – Ancient Wisdom These last few days have brought bad news for President Duterte’s Administration – and, therefore, bad news for all of us Filipinos. The negative developments indicate not just fleeting conditions but, indeed, defining trends that must…
Introduction: Archipelagic and Maritime Philippines, an ICZM case study and proposition for ASEAN Vision 2025. The ocean management concerns of the Philippines as an archipelagic State encompass its archipelagic and internal waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, and continental shelf (including a possible Extended Continental Shelf). The same situation exists for the two other archipelagic States in the Central Indo-Pacific…
The Philippines will be hosting the 31st ASEAN Summit later this year, at mid-century of its founding and into the second year of the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. The 50th year of the ASEAN also marks a milestone with the implementation of the AEC Blueprint 2025, which is the second phase of constructing the AEC….
Introduction The maritime issues under consideration in this article relates to the establishment of a legal order and durable regional ocean governance mechanism addressing non-traditional maritime security concerns, initially concentrated on the South China Sea giving prominence to a narrowed ASEAN-China context, but eventually extrapolated to a large maritime setting that is the seas of the ASEAN and the Central…
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The Southeast Asian region is situated in a unique strategic environment that is shaped by the Pacific maritime domain. It is home to maritime nations sitting astride vital sea lines of communication and trade in the Asia-Pacific, with vast water resources and minerals, and oil and gas reserves. Shipping traffic through Southeast Asia is several times greater than the traffic…
The Philippine Ambassadors Foundation Inc. (PAFI) urges the Philippines to seize the opportunity presented by its chairing of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2017 when ASEAN celebrates the 50th anniversary of its founding to assert and project a leadership role in the construction of regional ocean governance and maritime security as a Philippine contribution to the ASEAN Community…
The Philippine Navy (PN), through the Office of Naval Strategic Studies, in partnership with the Foreign Service Institute and the National Coast Watch Council Secretariat, organized the first Experts’ Dialogue on Maritime Security Governance to discuss the different approaches and mechanisms on how to effectively manage the nation’s maritime domain. Drawing from the experiences and best practices of Indonesia and…
PART 1 of 2 In the aftermath of the recent award (or ruling) by the U.N. Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea, new opportunities in our foreign relations have opened up which might lead to win-win solutions for the Philippines, China, U.S. and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Before getting into the national events…
Southeast Asia straddles several of the most important maritime passageways in the world today. These arteries of global trade, transportation, and commerce are vital not only for regional but also global peace, security, and stability. Also, the region’s booming economies make it a bright spot for international investment. The waters in and around Southeast Asia are believed to hold substantial…
In the 112th Maritime Forum, I responded positively to the proposal of a former Undersecretary of National Defense, Atty. Fernando Campos to discuss Strategy. He suggested discussing “National Security Scenarios for the post-election period.” Campos was also a former Governor of Cavite and a former Congressman of Cavite. He sent me his discussion paper, THE BIRTH OF A NEW PHILIPPINES:…
During the China-ASEAN Dialogue between Senior Defense Scholars held at Beijing, China on 11 – 15 March 2008, I presented a paper on Confidence-Building Measures Towards Greater Regional Stability. Military modernization in China was being perceived in a way that caused concern to some countries which fear a repeat of the arms race during the Cold War on one hand…
Has the AFP or the Phil. Navy ever made a feasibility study complete with projections of the benefits of the ship building industry in terms of generating capital for the economy and jobs for the people?
“[Beijing is] building a Great Wall of sand over islands claimed by several countries. China’s pattern of provocations toward smaller claimant countries on the basis of the sweeping 9-dash Line which is inconsistent with international law, and the wide asymmetry between China’s capabilities and of her weak neighbors, raises serious questions about Chinese intentions.”
About half of the world’s seaborne trade passes through the South China Sea (SCS) valued at US$5.3 trillion annually. The SCS dispute has the potential to overturn the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the constitution for the earth’s oceans and seas. For the Philippines, at stake in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) are: (1) 80%…
In 16-January 2016, J.R. Wu and Ben Blanchard reported on Asia Times that Taiwan’s President-elect Tsai Ing-wen called for freedom of navigation in the disputed South China Sea, and for a peaceful resolution to the growing dispute in the area.