DENR' Loyzaga visits Pag-asa Island; eyes expansion of research, monitoring

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga visited Pag-asa Island and discussed plans to expand research and monitoring in the area.

During her visit on October 23, Loyzaga met and discussed the expansion with Kalayaan Mayor Roberto Del Mundo, Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command head Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos and UP Marine Science Institute experts Dr. Fernando Siringan, Dr. Jose Fernando Alcantara, and Dr.Rolando Tolentino.

“The discussion was on the environmental sustainability of the island and the research needed for understanding marine environments and the value of these ecosystems to livelihoods, food security in the Philippines and the region, and the global need to ensure the ocean’s climate regulatory functions,” Loyzaga said in a statement on Friday.

“Given the implications, we need to actually determine an ecological boundary rather than administrative lines,” she added.

Loyzaga and Del Mundo also talked about interventions for the priority needs of the municipality’s residents and the sustainable development of the island.

They also covered the need for water, sewerage, and solid waste management systems in the area.

According to the DENR, Loyzaga is the second Cabinet-level official to visit Pag-Asa Island in recent years and the first DENR Secretary to do so.

On October 15, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said a Philippine Navy vessel warned off a Chinese Navy vessel for conducting "dangerous maneuvers" off Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippine crew cited the Chinese vessel's violation of the Collision Regulations (COLREG) in its radio challenges, and that PLAN 621 responded by citing its "ten-dash line" narrative.

The ten-dash line refers to a new map that China has issued that shows its claims over nearly the entirety of the South China Sea, Taiwan, and a state in India.

China in response claimed sovereignty over Pag-asa Island and defended its presence near it. — DVM, GMA Integrated News