Soneva Jani, Noonu Atoll, Maldives. (Unsplash)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez believes that with the right funding and intervention, Pag-asa Island and the rest of the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) could be developed into a "Maldives"-style tourist destination. 

Romualdez had this to say in a press conference Thursday night, Oct. 5 at the Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati City. That same morning, the Speaker led a small group of congressmen to Pag-asa. 

"The beauty of the area is astounding. If you just go and visit there, you'll see how beautiful the place is, so there are many potentials," he said.

Romualdez said that he was reminded of the world-famous tourist destination of Maldives during his short time visiting the remote Palawan island. 

"This I will tell you as we were flying over the Kalayan Island Groups, it's as if we were flying over the Maldives. 

“So we’re looking at hindi lang to support, hindi lang 'yung budget ng DND, hindi lang DOTr baka pwede rin yung DOT, kasi napakaganda dito baka pwede itong maging tourist destination," Romualdez said. 

(So we’re looking at not just support, not just the budget of the Department of National Defense, not just the Department of Transportation, but probably also the Department of Tourism, because it was so beautiful there maybe it could be turned into a tourist destination.) 

"There are other islands that we would like to develop…parang sa Maldives, so pwede sigurong maging Philippine Maldives… So we shall invite everyone to come and visit," the Leyte 1st district representative noted. 

(We'll copy Maldives, this can become the Maldives of the Philippines.) 

"But we shall develop the facilities here, the airport, the seaport and the other facilities within the Kalayaan Island Group,” Romualdez said.

Maldives is famous for its stunning beach resorts.