Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo has called on countries in the Indo-Pacific region "to push the frontiers for possible maritime cooperation" amid tensions and disputes that are continuously brewing particularly in the South China Sea.
Manalo said countries in the region must promote confidence-building measures and cooperative activities that are along the lines of maritime domain awareness, freedom of navigation, and marine environmental protection.
They must also be along the lines of safety of navigation and communication at sea, ocean governance, natural resource extractions and fisheries, "with the Law of the Sea as our guide."
Manalo's pronouncement, which was made at Yusof Ishak Institute-ISEAS Regional Outlook Forum in Singapore, came as he believed that the region "must build for peace" to sustain its economic growth trajectories as well as secure the inclusive empowerment of its citizens.
"We need to support the drivers of economic growth, invest in human capital, configure more resilient and integrated supply chains, strengthen connectivity and complementation," he said.
But most of all, he added, there is also an area "of critical importance"—the governance of the global commons, the spaces we co-inhabit, or in particular our maritime commons.
"Our seas and oceans connect our nations as a lifeline for the well-being of our economies and the future of millions of our coastal communities," he said.
"Getting governance right in the maritime commons, and applying the best of science, international law and norms to manage them, are key to maintaining peace in the region," he added.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the self-governing island of Taiwan expressed its gratitude to Manalo for his remarks.
"We appreciate [Secretary Manalo]'s reaffirmation that peace is vital in the Taiwan Strait at ISEAS' Regional Outlook Forum. This aligns with [President] Bongbong Marcos and Foreign Sec.'s consistent position that Taiwan is vital to the security and prosperity of the Philippines and Indo-Pacific," the ministry said.