PUTTING up structures in Philippines Rise to assert the country's sovereignty and control over the undersea region might take years to materialize, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Friday.
Lorenzana said the government is yet to allocate funds for the establishment of structures in the Philippine Rise, also known as Benham Rise, which was declared by the United Nations in 2012 as part of the Philippines' continental shelf.
"We don't allocate funds yet but we have plans to start building structures there," the top Defense official told Palace reporters.
"Perhaps, on my estimate, if we have the funds and we get the correct technology, maybe in two years time, we'll be able to start, and maybe another one year to establish it there," he added.
Lorenzana first announced in March the current administration's plan to put up structures in the 13-million-hectare Philippine Rise, which is potentially rich in biodiversity and fish stocks, after a Chinese survey ship was reported seen patrolling in the area.
He had said that President Rodrigo Duterte gave a directive to increase naval patrols in that area and build structures “that say this is ours.”
On March 14, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella also left a strong message that “Benham Rise belongs to the Filipino people and the Philippines.”
Duterte then issued Executive Order 25 on May 22, renaming Benham Rise to Philippine Rise “to emphasize the Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the sea.”
Lorenzana said the government already planted a Philippine Flag in the undersea region on June 12, Independence Day.
He said the next plan was to build a “platform” but cited concern that it might not be “tenable” because “weather there gets too harsh some parts of the year, with the waves as high as maybe 10 meters.”
Lorenzana, however, said that the government would live up to its commitment to protect the Philippine-owned territory.
“Benham Rise is 13-million hectares. It’s a huge area as huge as Luzon. And it is the spawning ground of the blue fin tuna, the most expensive tuna in the world. So let us protect that,” he said.
“The problem there is the fishermen of other countries have been poaching there for a long time. Coming from Taiwan, South Korea, China. Even Japan comes to Benham Rise. And we would like to protect what belongs to us. That’s our plan,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)