Military eyes naval port in Casiguran to better protect Benham Rise

A military official on Monday said the government is planning to establish a naval port in Casiguran, Aurora, to better protect the vast waters of Benham Rise, now renamed Philippine Rise.

A report by GMA News' Jun Veneracion on 24 Oras quoted a ranking official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines as saying that the military aims to strengthen its capabilities in the region.

The general, who refused to be identified, said Casiguran town has a strategic location since military assets can swiftly respond if needed due to its close proximity to Philippine Rise, a 13 million-hectare undersea region and biodiversity hot spot located east of Luzon.

Defense Undersecretary Cesar Yano, on the other hand, said the government had long aimed to build a naval station in the area.

"Our concern also is the Benham Rise and kahit noon pa man... we are considering to develop the area para mayroon naman tayong closer look dito sa area na ito," Yano said.

Agriculture Sec. Manny Piñol earlier announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has approved renaming Benham Rise to Philippine Rise and declare the region as a Protected Food Supply Exclusive Zone. 

Despite the absence of a naval station, Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tanalgo said they continue to protect the waters of Philippine Rise.

"We continuously patrol the Benham Rise by air, by surface, and everything that we've got," Tanalgo said.

Casiguran town hosted the 2017 Balikatan Exercises where Philippine and American military conducted civil military activities from the sea. Air and sea assets of both parties were used to stage rescue efforts following the onslaught of a super typhoon. 

3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade commander Brig. Gen. John Jansen said the drills allowed Filipino soldiers to learn more skills on how to rescue civilians from the sea during times of natural disasters.

"Bringing relief from the sea is not only the fastest way to save lives, but the only way to save lives," Jansen said.

Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana had earlier said the exercises this year, the first under the Duterte administration, will exclude joint drills on maritime security and territorial defense to avoid stoking tension from the Philippines' Asian neighbors.  —Joseph Tristan Roxas/KBK, GMA News