Amid the recent harassment of Filipino fishermen by the Chinese Coast Guard, Palawan 3rd District Rep. Edward Hagedorn’s proposed measure on the protection and preservation of the hotly-contested West Philippine Sea (WPS) gained steam among key government offices.

Personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) increased its presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to assert the country’s territory in celebration of the National Flag Day on May 28, 2021. (Photo courtesy of PCG)

In a statement, the lawmaker’s office said he has so far met with officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of National Defense (DND).

This is in connection with Hagedorn’s House Bill (HB) No. 6373, which aims to declare all low-tide elevations and high-tide features, and an area of three nautical miles around the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and the Scarborough Shoal as a Marine Protected Area (MPA).

According to the bill, MPA are “identified portions of water set aside by reason of their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation.”

"I thank the DENR, DILG, DND, and all the other experts who have engaged me in discussion and have shown genuine interest in protecting our environment. The discussions made during the meetings are positive and we have found that our views are aligned," he said.

Evangelical leader CIBAC Party-list Rep. Eddie Villanueva also expressed his “full support” for the bill, calling it an “important and timely initiative that could provide a common ground and shared interest for all contending states.”

Such support came amid the heightened tensions in the WPS caused by the blockage of the Chinese Coast Guard of a Filipino fishing vessel off Ayungin Shoal late last week.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is currently investigating the recent incident.

READ: PCG starts probe as Chinese ship drove away Palawan fishermen in Ayungin Shoal

"The invaluable insights of these government officials will all help in shaping the bill into something that will strengthen the protection and preservation of the atolls, coral reefs, and other vital marine resources in the Kalayaan Island Group and Scarborough Shoal. Indeed, this is a cause that we should unite for," Hagedorn added.

The lawmaker is set to continue discussions with the DENR, DILG, and DND to further enhance the bill, which will be discussed on Jan. 25.

Meanwhile, Hagedorn also thanked House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez for prioritizing the hearing of his proposed bill.

Citing Republic Act No. 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018 and the Arbitral Ruling in seeking to declare the said areas as a Marine Protected Area.

In its explanatory note, it also took note of a 2012 study by Rudolf de Groot, et. al., which stated that coral reefs are our “single most valuable ecosystem.”

“A hectare, or about 2.5 acres, of reef can produce a potential value of approximately US $350,000 a year. The coral reefs in the Spratlys, which serve as the breeding ground of fish in the South China Sea, comprise 34 percent of the world’s total coral reefs, despite the South China Sea occupying only 2.5 percent of world’s total ocean and sea surface,” it read.

“As such, the South China Sea is one of the richest marine areas in the world which is the home to diverse marine ecosystems with over 3,000 species of fish and 600 species of coral reef,” it added.

The proposed measure also stressed that activities, such as overfishing, poaching, and large-scale ocean filling or reclamation, among others, by surrounding states due to the territorial disputes led to significant environmental degradation in the area.

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