Monthly Archives: May 2024

‘We need to be out there’: Long-term monitoring of marine resources needed in West Philippine Sea

SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Long-term and systematic monitoring will ensure the survival of marine resources in the West Philippine Sea, scientists said in a forum on Monday, May 13. “These [underwater resources] are our treasures, but we don’t have a lot of information on what’s going on,” said Jonathan Anticamara, professor at the University of […]

‘Solidarity’ of maritime neighbors: Vietnamese fisherfolk rescue Filipino in West Philippine Sea

SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – A Filipino fisherman who went overboard and ended up swimming and floating out at sea for over 18 hours was rescued by Vietnamese fisherfolk on May 4, the Philippine Navy said in a media release. Allan Maglangit, whom the Navy identified as a fisherman working for a company based in Cebu, […]

View from Manila: PH’s recent narratives on West Philippine Sea testing gov’t integrity

SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – When talking about the West Philippine Sea, narratives are important.  Overlapping and diverging narratives took a scandalous turn last week, with Beijing claiming possession and threatening the release of a recorded phone call that, it said, proves that Western Command Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos had agreed to their terms in resupply […]

DFA to probe reports of ‘illegal and unlawful’ activities by diplomats in PH 

SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – While vowing to “continue to focus its efforts on advancing cooperation with all countries,” the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday, May 14, that it would “look into any reports of illegal and unlawful activities” of diplomats posted in the Philippines.  “The Department of Foreign Affairs will look into […]

[EDITORIAL] Ang ‘enemy from within’ sa West Philippine Sea

SUMMARY Nitong Mayo 10, inudyukan ni National Security Adviser Eduardo Año ang Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) na patalsikin sa Maynila ang Chinese embassy diplomats na naglabas sa media ng isa umanong recording. Sabi naman ni Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro, dapat daw imbesitagahan ng DFA kung nilabag ng embassy officials ng Tsina ang Anti-Wiretapping Act […]

Philippines sends ships to disputed atoll where China building ‘artificial island’

SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines said on Saturday, May 11, it has deployed ships to a disputed area in the South China Sea, where it accused China of building “an artificial island” in an escalating maritime row. The coast guard sent a ship “to monitor the supposed illegal activities of China, creating ‘an artificial […]

Coral reefs in Pag-asa Island cays likely damaged for ‘several years already’ – scientist

SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – A marine biologist who led the recent marine scientific research (MSR) in Pag-asa (Thitu) Island estimated that the damage on coral reefs in the isolated cays may have been going on for ““several years already.” “The ones that are underwater, from, let’s say, 7 meters deep to around 20 meters deep […]