Armed Forces of the Philippines aircraft spots Chinese vessels swarming in Iroquois Reef, located south of the oil and gas-rich Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea, on June 30, 2023. Western Command Armed Forces of the Philippines handout photo/file 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Saturday said it will conduct an integrated research on biodiversity conservation at the Recto Bank and Rizal Reef in April.

The research will be conducted in collaboration with the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation.

“We expect to discover more and measure the Philippine treasures in the ecosystems of the West Philippine Sea, a big part of our natural capital for the present and the future,” said DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga during the first all-women maritime security forum organized by the Stratbase Institute in partnership with the Australian Embassy in the Philippines.

Loyzaga said the DENR earlier conducted the Biodiversity Conservation and Carbon Sequestration in the West Philippine Sea Project in Pag-asa Island last February.

The West Philippine Sea: High tide or low tide?

 The West Philippine Sea has a rich biodiversity that contributes around 27% of the country’s commercial fisheries production and around 30% of the nation’s coral reefs. 

However, it is now under threat due to the China's aggressive actions, according to the DENR.

Beijing claims most of the South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis, and its coast guard has clashed repeatedly with that of the Philippines, sparking fears of an armed conflict.

RESEARCH STATION

The DENR is also planning to set up a marine scientific research station in Pag-asa Island as part of the eight stations across the country’s biogeographic regions.

Other stations include the Tubbataha Reef Ranger Station and Snake Island Station in Palawan and the Verde Island Passage Station to be established with the private sector and academic and research partners.

The sentinel stations will serve as sites for specific areas of collaboration with scientists from the Philippines and like-minded countries who respect the rules-based international order.

Palace on Duterte's first ICC appearance: This is what we call fair trial 

 “A leading and critical example of our strategic bilateral collaboration is our work with the government of Australia, under the new strategic partnership relationship, in developing science and policy leaders and scholars in ocean science and maritime security,” explained Loyzaga.

MARITIME SECURITY 

During the forum, Australia also reiterated support in strengthening maritime security and protection in the Philippines.

Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu emphasized the importance of ensuring gender equality in the maritime domain, citing maritime security and protection as a complex challenge requiring more inclusive cooperation.

UN biodiversity summit opens with call for 'significant' funding

Armed Forces of the Philippines Spokesperson Col. Francel Taborlupa meanwhile emphasized the importance of allies like Australia in enhancing maritime security in the country.

She highlighted previous collaborations in humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, joint maritime patrols around several training activities, and capacity-building with subject matter experts from both countries.

Masungi's Ann and Billie Dumaliang among TIME's 2024 Next Gen Leaders 

“The Philippines is not an expansionist country. We are a peace-loving nation, and we are merely defending our own territory, which is backed by international laws,” said Taborlupa.

“We strengthened partnerships towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is the overarching goal of all like-minded nations and the well-meaning nations,” she added. - report from Reuters