West Philippine Sea

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WPS: Testing Our National Will

n his book “The New Rules of War” Professor Sean McFate describes the post-WWII era as a period of “durable disorder.” He cites the following evidence to support his finding: increasing challenges on the “rules-based” world order; rising number of “fragile” or “failed” states; half of the countries in the world are experiencing some form of conflict; armed conflicts today…


Why PNoy and BBM Leaned on America, Not China

The world’s predominant superpower will always create the conditions to perpetuate its global dominance and weaker nations will always be subsumed by these conditions. Like it or not, that’s just how the world works. It was true during the ancient Byzantine and Roman empires as it was true during the recent British and American empires. How do superpowers create the…


DEFENDING OUR PATRIMONY :The need to Reshape the AFP’s Operational Plan

The 2023 budget deliberations and recent legislative hearings once more brought to the fore their observation about our present inability to confront intrusions into the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Rise. One senator urged “the government to expedite the buildup of defense forces in the WPS.” Another congressman was advocating to stress lethality in the development of this force….


South China Sea Disputes – A Zero Sum Undertaking

Conflicting island and Maritime claims are the subject matters for the South China Sea (SCS) territorial disputes. The sovereign states involved are some ASEAN nations; outside ASEAN would be Taiwan and China. An estimated 3.37 Trillion worth of global trade passes though SCS annually which accounts for a third of the global maritime trade 80mpercent of China’s energy imports and…


Successful Reprovisioning Mission to BRP Sierra Madre

The Western Command Armed Forces of the Philippines successfully conducted a reprovisioning mission to BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) at Ayungin Shoal to replenish the supplies and materials needed by its crew on 2-August-2022. Escorting the reprovisioning boat, MV Unaiza Mae 2, were the Philippine Coast Guard’s newest Multi-Role Response Vessel (MRRV), the BRP Teresa Magbanua MRRV 9701 and BRP Malapascua…


The Ukraine Crisis and the ‘West Philippine Sea:’ The Necessity of Self-Defense in International Law

There have been a number of comments in the domestic discourse on the Ukraine crisis – both on social media and mainstream media – but unfortunately, a discussion of the legal aspect seems to be wanting. An understanding of these issues cannot be sufficiently had without taking into account the pertinent rules of international law. For weeks the United States…


PCG Installs 5 Buoys Carrying Flag in the WPS

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) successfully installed five 30-FOOT-LONG NAVIGATIONAL BUOYS CARRYING THE PHILIPPINE FLAG in four critical islands in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) – Lawak Island, Likas Island, Parola Island, and Pag-asa Island. On 18-May-2022, PCG Commandant, CG Admiral Artemio M Abu led the arrival ceremony for the five Coast Guard vessels that laid out the SYMBOLS OF…



Zonal Approach to the ‘West Philippine Sea’

The sea referred to as the ‘West Philippine Sea’ comprises different maritime zones, not all of which actually pertain to the Philippines as its territory from the perspective of international law. Given that the Philippines is a member of the international community, it is only advisable that it employ an approach consistent with international law in respect of its territory…


Taiwan and the Philippines

In the event tensions escalate to a conflict between China and Taiwan, will the Philippine be involved? This may be one of the risk scenarios in 2022.* China’s President Xi Jinping blamed the U.S. for the tensions  between the two world economic and military powers on “Repeated attempts by Taiwan authorities for U.S. support  in their independence agenda as well…


Philippines to Ignore New China Maritime Law Within West Philippine Sea

Manila, Philippines. The new Chinese law requires vessels passing through the South China Sea to provide information, including positions of their vessels, to Chinese authorities. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Philippines did not recognize the new Chinese maritime law, which mandated foreign vessels in the South China Sea to “report their detailed information” to China. “Our stand on that…


Some Issues on Food Security

Food security, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is “ensuring that all people at all times have both physical and economic access to the basic food that they need.” The UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS) further qualifies food security to mean “people having at all times physical, social, economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious…


DA-BFAR Focuses on Resource Sustainability in WPS and Extends Livelihood Support to Fisherfolk

The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) is strongly committed to fulfilling its mandate of ensuring food security especially in this challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic, alleviating the economic conditions of the fisheries sector especially the fisherfolk, and addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing among other challenges, that continue to hound the Philippine fisheries…


Radioactivity in Waters around the Philippines

Recently a friend asked me if I had heard any news regarding elevated levels of radioactivity in the waters surrounding the Philippine Islands. I admit I had not, but would check into it. According to Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) radioactive material was indeed found in existing coral and waters in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). PNRI Director Carlo Arcilla…



Very Significant U.S. Foreign Policy Statements on the Disputes in the South China Sea

Notably preceded and followed by major military movements, I wonder what would be the impact on RP’s claim on certan islands and sea areas in the SCS. Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914), graduate of the US Naval Naval Academy, wrote of the interdependence of military might and seaborne commerce, “whoever controls the sea lanes controls the islands; who controls islands controls…



The Problematic “West Philippine Sea”

All views expressed herein are the contributor’s and do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever with which he has been, is now, or will be affiliated. Through Administrative Order (AO) No. 29 series of 2012 the Philippine State named the sea areas west of the Philippine archipelago as the ‘West Philippine Sea’. It is important to clarify what…


MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA: Reframing the narrative from one of contestation to consensus-building and cooperation

(A presentation made by (DENR) Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Undersecretary Analiza Rebuelta-Teh during the Roundtable Discussion on West Philippine Sea/South China Sea organized by the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations (PCFR) and Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA) held on 9-October-2019 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) CURRENT STATE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCES IN…


Global Expansion Efforts by China From My Perspective

My past research efforts have been mostly directed to Philippine environmental issues, maritime encroachment in Philippine waters as well as maritime safety issues as they impact the Philippines in both the West Philippine Sea as well as the China Sea to the north. I have since broadened my research to not only maritime issues –from the West Philippine Sea to…



CHINA’S MARITIME CAMPAIGN IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

The construction of military-grade bases in three artificial islands (Subi, Fiery Cross and Mischief Reefs), posting of troops with missile defense capability in four others (Cuarteron, Gaven, Hughes, and Johnson South Reefs), conduct of regular naval and coast guard patrols, and use of paramilitary fishing units in the South China Sea are clear indications that China’s maritime campaign has fully…


PCG’s First Offshore Patrol Vessel Formally Launched in France

The Philippine Coast Guard’s first Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) was formally launched in OCEA shipyard in France on July 17. PCG Commandant Admiral Elson E Hermogino, with the Deputy Chief of PCG Staff for Strategic Studies and Modernization, Captain Ferdinan B Picar, PCG Spokesperson Captain Armando A Balilo, and officials from Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA)…


Engaging with China

The 2018 National Security Strategy of the United States revealed a change in posture, tacitly stated by Christopher Preble in his article “The Benefits of Engaging with China Far Outweigh the Costs and Risks” (30-January-2019) in The National Interest: The assumption that engagement with rivals and their inclusion in international institutions and global commerce would turn them into benign actors…


The Missing Maritime Zone

Not all the maritime zones of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) are automatically ascribed to a State. The LOSC provides, among others, the different maritime zones as we know them. Among these are the Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, Continental Shelf and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It is important to note – a…