Maritime Domain Awareness and Strategic Solutions for the South China Sea
The West Philippine Sea: (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)
Introduction
President Ferdinand “PBBM” Marcos Jr. recently emphasized Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in his latest State of the Nation Address (SONA). In a previous article for the Society of Honor, titled “We are a Maritime Nation,” I aimed to underline our maritime heritage by exploring our rich maritime history, current maritime domain awareness, and the modern context of our maritime situation.
In another piece for Maritime Review, titled “South China Sea: A Zero-Sum Undertaking” (2022), I discussed several critical issues related to maritime boundary disputes in Southeast Asia, including the Nine-Dash Line, overlapping maritime claims, and strategies for smaller states to manage their claims against larger powers like China.
Key Issues and Solutions
Maritime Boundary Disputes in Southeast Asia
The South China Sea disputes involve complex territorial claims by various nations, including the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei. Key issues include:
– Nine-Dash Line: Initially claimed by the Republic of China (1912-1949) and later the People’s Republic of China (PRC), this line overlaps with the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of several countries.
– Specific Maritime Boundaries: These include disputes north of Borneo, along the Vietnamese coast, and in the waters north of the Natuna Islands.
– Strategic and Legal Considerations: Issues of power asymmetry and strategies for smaller states, such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, to enhance their leverage against China.
Proposed Solutions and Insights
Several experts have proposed different approaches to address these disputes:
1. Prof. Pankaj Jha’s Recommendations (2020):
– Code of Conduct (COC): Establish a high-powered committee to build consensus among ASEAN nations.
– Trilateral Initiatives: Engage in dialogue with claimants and external partners.
– Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): Develop and release statements to maintain the status quo.
– Treaty of Amity and Cooperation: Formulate a treaty specifically for the South China Sea.
– Universal Appeal: Vietnam should appeal to the international community for support.
2. Mark J. Valencia’s Perspective:
– Valencia questions the feasibility of a unified stand against China, suggesting a more nuanced approach that considers China’s interests.
3. Bill Hayton’s Analysis:
– Hayton advocates for using the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to resolve disputes, drawing parallels with the Malaysia-Singapore Pedra Branca case. The ICJ’s approach to sovereignty based on evidence of physical administration can be applied to South China Sea disputes.
4. LCDR Arnold Enriquez’s Insights:
– Enriquez highlights the importance of distinguishing maritime boundaries from maritime frontiers. The recent Philippines-Indonesia maritime boundary agreement demonstrates how effective diplomacy and adherence to international law can resolve disputes and promote stability.
The BRP Sierra Madre and Forward Operating Bases
The BRP Sierra Madre (Photocredit: The Vera Files)
The BRP Sierra Madre, intentionally grounded on Second Thomas Shoal by the Philippines since 1999, continues to play a strategic role despite its deteriorated condition. Its status as an active commissioned vessel under Philippine control aligns with UNCLOS provisions for maintaining sovereignty over maritime features.
However, there are ongoing debates about its effectiveness and the need for a more permanent solution. One proposal is to replace the BRP Sierra Madre with a permanent forward operating base (FOB). This proposal, discussed in the article “It’s Time to Build a Combined Forward Operating Base Sierra Madre,” suggests several key points:
– Chinese Aggression: Increased Chinese Coast Guard activities and aggressive tactics threaten Philippine vessels resupplying the Sierra Madre.
– Strategic Importance: The deteriorating condition of the Sierra Madre raises concerns about maintaining Philippine sovereignty over Second Thomas Shoal.
– Proposal for a Combined Base: Advocates for a permanent facility staffed by U.S. and Philippine forces to enhance operational capabilities and deter Chinese interference.
Marine-Multifunctional-Modular-Mobile (M4) Solutions
An alternative to a permanent military base is the implementation of Marine-Multifunctional-Modular-Mobile (M4) solutions. These innovative platforms integrate multiple functions such as:
1. Renewable Energy Hubs: Combining wind, solar, wave, and tidal energy generation with storage and distribution.
2. Aquaculture: Merging fish farming with energy production or tourism to enhance economic viability.
3. Coastal Protection: Using platforms as breakwaters or seawalls while supporting other functions.
4. Desalination and Water Treatment: Integrating these facilities with marine activities for efficient resource use.
5. Tourism and Recreation: Developing floating platforms for leisure and marine tourism.
Overcoming Challenges
To effectively implement M4 solutions, several challenges must be addressed:
– Regulatory Framework: Harmonizing regulations and providing financial incentives.
– Technological Advancements: Utilizing advanced materials and digital technologies.
– Economic Viability: Developing innovative business models and conducting life-cycle cost analyses.
– Environmental Impact: Assessing environmental impacts and quantifying ecosystem services.
– Stakeholder Engagement: Involving local communities and industry representatives in planning.
Conclusion
The Philippines faces significant challenges in asserting its maritime sovereignty amidst ongoing disputes in the South China Sea. While traditional approaches, such as maintaining the BRP Sierra Madre or establishing a permanent FOB, have their merits, exploring alternative solutions like M4 platforms could offer innovative ways to address both strategic and environmental needs. By leveraging diplomatic strategies, legal principles, and technological innovations, the Philippines can enhance its position and contribute to regional stability.
For further reading and references:
– [Society of Honor – “We Are a Maritime Nation”](https://joeam.com/2024/02/21/we-are-a-maritime-nation/)
– [Maritime Review – “South China Sea: A Zero-Sum Undertaking”](https://maritimereview.ph/south-china-sea-disputes-a-zero-sum-undertaking/)
– [War on the Rocks – “It’s Time to Build a Combined Forward Operating Base Sierra Madre”](https://warontherocks.com/2023/09/its-time-to-build-combined-forward-operating-base-sierra-madre/)
– [ICJ – Pedra Branca Case Study](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402303579X)
– [M4 Case Studies](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/370903672_Exploring_multi-use_platforms_A_literature_review_of_marine_multifunctional_modular_and_mobile_applications_M4s)
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
Thank you sir for sending this. This is very important for us Filipinos to learn/ know about. Much appreciated! –wil
Many thanks Wil, I also appreciate your appreciation.
Good day TSOH.
Maritime Domain Awareness is very important to have not only by our national security personnel, but by every citizen.
Let us define maritime domain awareness.
Maritime domain awareness (MDA) is defined by the International Maritime Organization as the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy, or environment.
We all that it is not just about maritime security, but also the rest of the components abaove.
Our fisheries and our food security is at stake, we import most of our rice, and just about anything.
The SONA of our president saying that WPS is ours.
As a Filipino, I would call that a good drum beat, a good marching order.
But note that terroitorial seas is only 12 miles from the shore, and the EEZ is not ours but ours to take care of and enrich. We are the stewards of our EEZ.
My take, now let us hear yours.
Unless China wants to give it back (eg. for something in return), I don’t think talking about it like beating the dead horse of UNCLOS will do any good. Most Filipinos just don’t care. And the USA sending ships sure looks good like cinematic good but i doubt Philippines will partake in proxy war with China ala Ukraine for sure not Taiwan. So the micro of this, the one thing that the Philippines can do is just to expand cruise ships. Cruise ship industry is your answer , karl. Focus on tourism.
most cruise routes stir clear from WPS , karl. but if the Philippines encourages more visits to the west of Palawan with more ports, and just traffic the WPS with cruise ships. it’ll be a win-win-win. hell why not a ferry from Vietnam to the Philippines. just open that place up to a lot of sea traffic.
Kinda like Area 51, karl. if the US suddenly finds a bunch of UFO activity thus inviting UFO tourists or regular tourists like deep sea fishing tours or diving, etc. Open up Palawan.
Remember this post of yours when we had a cruiese ship snafu and it happened to affect 1500 Fil-ams?
“LCPL_X
says:
February 22, 2024 at 1:12 am (Edit)
“Maritime Tourism is a major part of our blue economy but hopefully we will learn from some setbacks like what happened recently with welcoming 1500 filams in a cruise ship.” probably stay away from Manila all together is the best solution here, karl.”
Glad you did a 180 or 360
Anyways the multi use platform can also be used by cruiseships and other tourism boats.
I still think cruise ships should stir clear of Manila , karl. if you look at the demographics of cruise ship tourists they tend to be old or just wanna enjoy beautiful scenery. Cebu and other cities in Mindanao better than Manila. but re WPS per your blog it should be Palawan. stay clear off Manila. the bay smelt like poop etc. not really how you wanna welcome tourists off of cruise ships. looking at Google maps theres a few natural harbors in western Palawan that could accommodate cruise ships.
Ok but I would not recommend that.
I tend to agree. How are people going to get about, what will they look at, what will they do? Intramuros? You have to be a history buff. Casinos? Borocay has a beach, Cebu does too. Cathedrals? Um, go to Spain. Palawan, you can visit the crocodile farm and underground river. My family went to Kuala Lumpor for a couple of days a few years ago. The twin-tower bridge, tea shoppes, an observatory and bird park (walked one to the other), malls. Haggendaz ice cream shop, fun dining. I don’t know how you do that in Manila.
My bias for NCR showed. I change my answer to “I agree” with skipping Maniila unless inclement weather strands them.
If Tourism put together a choice of day trips, say 1) Intramuros and historical sites, 2) casinos and shopping, or 3) a full day city driving tour, then there would be reason to stop in Manila. But if I were a cruise line company, I’d want to preview the options before adding Manila. DOT and local tour operators need to get their acts together.
Sounds right.
from manila, I like visiting bataan war memorial and its scenic route. also from manila, a day trip to corregidor island for world war two history buffs is a must. the old ruins there are picture perfect.
It’s a very long route though. Psychic cost/benefit for tourists might be weak. When we drive to Tacloban, we wind through the mountains of northern Leyte past a monument to one of the bloodiest battles fought during MacArthur’s return on Leyte. There is a marker up on the hill that commemorates “Break Neck Ridge”. One stands there overlooking the steep hills and ridges and can appreciate the courage and suffering of two determined enemies killing each other for days.
The Philippines could put together quite a World War II set of memorials into tours I suppose. But I don’t think that is why most travel.
Here is an article about the battle at Break Neck Ridge. https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/article/doughboy-white-the-lost-battalion-of-leyte/
By land it is very long route but the ferries. speed it up to Bataan. The Long Bridge will also cut the road trip once completed.
I used to ride Victory Liner from the Luzon coast (San Felipe) through Olongapo and then through Bataan and into Manila. And back again. I never considered a ferry, but for tourists, I suppose that would be a part of the adventure. My recollection is there is a monument in Bataan and a lot of traffic and houses. I personally would not invest a day for that, but maybe there’s more to it if packaged right. Like with Corregidor. There was a touristy plaza that the bus would stop at for lunch. Fairly large. Tourist trinkets and clothes. So maybe there is more to it than what I saw.
@giancarloangulo please give us a picture of Bataan Tourist spots, thank you.
hotel lobbies in manila have tour companies where guided tours of the old and new manila can be booked. a visit to luneta park, binondo, china town, tagaytay, pagsanjan falls etc. aboard airconditioned buses for added comfort. though one such guided tour became a nightmare when a filipino gunman boarded the bus and threatened passengers. there was casualty yata and since most passengers were overseas tourists, it made international headline.
That sounds like a good day trip, or series of them.
Nice maps, fond recollections. I’ve climbed Mt. Kinabalu to the 10,000 foot camp, sat on the beach at Da Nang, stayed at Puerto Princessa for a week, shopped in Hong Kong on several occasions, and had a Singapore Sling at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore (horrid stuff). And avoided Manila like the plague. You might be onto something. Asia is the best.
Just don’t hire the US military to make those piers, Joe. lol.
Sad with the state of Corregidor. The foundation didnt survive the pandemic and I fear for the awesome memorials in Corregidor.
Dambana ng Kagitingan:
(60) Mount Samat National Shrine | Dambana Ng Kagitingan Historical Walking Tour | Pilar, Bataan – YouTube
Acuzar Bataan:
(60) The Best Historic Hotel in Asia! Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar | Full Walk Tour | Bataan Philippines – YouTube
every year while he was alive, I used to go and assist my paternal lolo to bataan shrine to commemorate the anniversary of the death march. my price was a bag of potato chips!
Excellent article, Karl, I appreciate you writing it.
I have some points:
Agree on all points Joey. All are pertinent.
We must go beyond declaring September as Maritime Awareness Month.
The Maritime League started doing its EXPO at September last year and every succeeding Septembers after.
That is a drop in a bucket, but a good start.
BBM’s declaration is important of course, but he needs to move beyond just words and start taking action. At this point I still feel like BBM is using his foreign trips to gather allies to fight *for* the Philippines. All well and good, having steadfast allies is very important, but when will Filipinos fight for the Philippines?
What I worry about the most is when the inevitable PRC attack comes, the US and other allies will only be reluctant protectors due to the individual strategic interests of those countries. Here in the US, we are sick and tired of fighting wars in countries that don’t appreciate us, spending our blood and treasure. But there is no other more reliable and most steadfast of friends on the battlefield than an American serviceman/woman in war.
Charting a path for a revival of an AFP that’s more professionalized and modernized will only create more pride in wearing the uniform of the AFP, as to attract servicemen/women who volunteer out of patriotism rather than just a salary. As it goes in many areas of Philippine bureaucracy, the organization of the AFP is still too top-heavy with generals and admirals whose dress uniforms are on the verge of ripping from the weight of medals and commendations rather than actual experience.
Actually I was thinking that a great way for the Philippines and AFP to gain experience is to join peacekeeping missions around the world under the aegis of the UN and US allies. Reforming of the NCO corp, giving more agency to NCOs and junior officers to make quick decisions within the military code. The US military is so effective exactly because NCOs and junior officers are given wide latitude, and trusted to carry out broad orders creatively. As a Ukraine watcher (and traveler of that country as well), I’m pleasantly surprised the Ukrainian AFU is learning this rather quickly. In many ways, the modernization of Eastern European and Baltic militaries can be a good example for the Philippines. Undoubtedly, American and Western support is crucial in the Ukraine-Russian War, but also is the development of new and clever ways of war-fighting to stop the advance of a much larger and technologically superior enemy.
Licensed production of military articles is really the key to develop a native industry. There are plenty of educated and patriotic Filipino engineers and a large number of available workforce. This would probably require movement by the Congress and the President to make it happen. Perhaps the goading of the titans of Filipino economy to do their patriotic duty to pitch in on investing into new defense production, along with government investment.
The beauty of making new Filipino industry is that none really exists at the moment (ha ha). Those new factories can be placed in strategic areas that have an available workforce, rather than once again concentrating things in NCR. It might even start unifying Filipinos by allaying some of the bad feelings non-Tagalog groups have towards Manila about the supposed preference for Tagalog interests if the new economic boom goes to Visayas, Leyte, Mindanao.
I understand your discouragement towards modernization and industrialization due to the jeepney modernization drive. It was, let’s be frank, a shit show. Once again, instead of providing real leadership, Manila gave vague directives that sounds great on paper then left it up to others to “figure it out.” Instead of giving incentives to those with the money to consolidate jeepney service, reducing the independence of owner-operators into just becoming hired drivers for a bossing, why didn’t Manila first think to create a plan for a program that partnered with Japanese, South Korean, or Indian automobile companies to create a line of modern jeepneys that would be cheaper in price due to bulk buy, then create a low-interest loan program for owner-operators? Maybe even with the goal of moving production locally in the near future as well. Just boggles my mind to be honest about all the missed opportunities.
Re: UN peacekeeping and being part of mercenaries. That we do.
Thanks for you ideas.
Since you use notepad, why not send them in installments like part 1 and part 2. Maybe the length of the comment is what WP is beginning to reject.
Ah thanks Karl, that might be it. I wanted to avoid splitting a comment into installments because I didn’t want to inundate the comments section, but I’ll give that a try next time.
I’m guessing it’s the bullet points. Maybe length. Hard to say.
It was Durerte whom to credit for declaring September as MANAMO (literally your inheritance) but it stans for Maritime Nation Awareness Month.
we are aware alright specially now with that humongous oil spill where state of calamity is declared in cavite. shores of manila, bulacan, pampanga and bataan are bracing for oil contamination, trying hard to mop up oil spill with coconut husks.
Why not use a floor polisher instead of “bunot”. Hehehe
haha, other suggested to light a match and burn them oil and we would get ready to eat fish, deep fried and crunchy.
seriously, bunot are very absorbent material and soak up oil quickly. we have plenty bunots, cheap as they come. other country uses human hair, cuttings from hairdresser shops and saloons, sackfuls of them by the truckloads bundled up like giant boa constrictors stretching kilometers long.
Haha, this gave me my laugh for the day KB. An Ilokano retired Navy man once told me “the Philippines was famous for kopra exports before the Spanish, and hundreds of years later the main export is still kopra, but what shall we do with the bunot?” Of course he said that as a joke, but it exemplifies the Filipino humor in the face of feelings of powerlessness.
you are right, we filipinos sometimes laugh at disaster. inappropriate maybe, but giving in to sorrow and crying will only make us fall further apart. we are already broken.
Tawanan ang problema
When I arrived after bagyong Odette to help out my Cebu friends, everyone just joked that “at least now there’s free salvage materials given by the neighbor to build a shelter.” The neighbor’s roof that was blown from the neighboring settlement haha. I heard the same sayings back then after bagyong Yolanda.
There was a picture of a boat filled with long coils of thick (maybe 8 inches) fibrous material that the Coast Guard was getting set to lay down to contain the oil slick. I think they did a good job of sealing off leaks from the ship so the oil could be siphoned off and the ship refloated. I’d give the Coast Guard an A+ on this job.
doj’s remulla said legal action will be taken vs tankers culpability. though, punishment may be lessened if owners of tankers contribute to the clean up, and compensate coastal towns for the damage done.
If they overloaded it and sailed in rough seas, they should be held accountable. But the Coast Guard did nice work, keeping hundreds of thousands of gallons sealed in the ship. They sealed off something like 14 valves to stop the leakage.
I have a military brat friend who handled troubleshooting the oil spill last year in Mindoro maybe he also handled the Bataan incident. Kudos to PCG!
Righto!
May interest you in my articles about many stuff.
1) https://joeam.com/2021/04/09/all-in-the-name-of-national-interest/
2) https://joeam.com/2024/03/16/34704/
Thank you for introducing me to the articles Karl. I agree with you on almost all points, however my principal reservation is how AFP modernization and strengthening Philippine national interests will be paid for. I’m a proponent of MMT myself, but the strategy may not be feasible for smaller countries like the Philippines. In my view of economics, MMT requires a strong currency, preferably control of the reserve currency (US Dollar), or at the very least one of the major secondary currencies (EU Euro, UK pound sterling).
I’ve observed that the biggest threat to the success of Philippine modernization in each of the sectors (strategic/defense, domestic economy, export opportunities) is the Congress and the Executive often propose large paradigm change without bothering to come up with a plan to achieve that goal. The Jeepney modernization you pointed out is a recent example of this problem. Then when the obstacles seem insurmountable, everyone in government just throws their hands up in a defeatist attitude, when they never even really “tried.” Incrementalism isn’t as sexy, but it gets a chunk of the job done and behind us, so that we can focus on the rest of the goal tomorrow.
As the US has repeatedly re-affirmed the “iron clad” commitment to MDT in recent years, do you think a better strategy is to improve the AFP along the lines that would complement the US military? This is what Japan, South Korea, Australia, the UK are doing. In the NATO model, NATO General Secretary Jens Stoltenberg has explained that NATO is re-configuring to mutually support all alliance members with each member-state bringing their own expertise to the total equation. In a similar Pacific model, I can imagine the AFP taking a role that causes maximum credible deterrence with the available budget, similar to Taiwan’s defense strategy.
Thanks for taking time to read and give feedback.
I am a proppoent of licensed production and manufacturing among many proposals.
The reforms in our procurement law is a welcome step
But the slow development of the jeepney’s modernization discourages me or keep giving me frequent wakeup calls that if we handle our modernization like the way we handled the jeepney then we will go nowhere in modernization and manufacturing.
By the way, thank you Joey for the kind words.
Hmm. It seems the WP host ate my comment again. I submitted it twice by the way. The first comment can be deleted, as the second has better formatting (spacing between bullet points).
When I submit a comment using the Reader on my WP account, or on the Jetpack app it doesn’t eat comments, but also I can’t create formatting like when I post directly on Joe’s blog.
I like the M4 approach, which can be undertaken independent of the WPS conflict. ASEAN to me is hopeless when other state’s foreign ministers complain about the Philippines working with Japan to build it’s defense framework. Clearly they are not interested in Filipino well-being because they must know that ASEAN is weak, doesn’t protect member states, and has no compelling direction. Also the proposal for a more nuanced approach that considers China’s interests is a non-starter. China’s interest is expanding her power without regard for the interests of other states. China is the nation than needs some nuance, and a whole lot of it.
I like LCX’s concept of flooding the WPS with sea traffic. Push out far and frequently. Maybe not too practical, but perfect the art of ignoring China’s ships.
I think the only solution to China is relying on other nations to provide the muscle while the Philippines provides the (sovereign) direction. China only respects power.
Thanks for the valuable insights Joe.
ASEAN has this non interference rule of thumb, I don’t?’t know of Malaysia?’s brokering of peace talks before can be called non interference.
I only included the pundit Valencia not because he is more concerned with China’s interests but because it could only take one Pro China ASEAN member to thwart any united stand againt China . Methinks there is more than one. Making his opinion of non feasibility of a united stand hitting the mark.
Yes, agree.
“Maybe not too practical, but perfect the art of ignoring China’s ships.” These are solutions that can be done right now, Joe. no funding needed just leveraging whats already there, eg. diverting cruise ships towards a specific direction. but karl’s right cruise ships logistically have to stop in cities to resupply i’m just saying not Manila there are other cities that can resupply but traffic the that area already now logistics can be adjusted over time. another thing smaller in scope to cruise ships is the Filipinos penchant for family or school or company get togethers in which they charter whole buses or jeepneys to go places sometimes they bring their own whole lechon with them even. then for fresh seafood just have vinegar theres a dish like Mexican ceviche that’s popular up and down Philippines. its called kinilaw in Cebu and goes perfect with Red Horse and Tanduay. but i digress, why not the Philippine gov’t subsidize these get togethers but in the seas karl has delineated here, I think theres like sand bars there and good snorkelling spots too, so why not make pam boat parties a thing in WPS. or like Cryptonomicon push out psyops to say theres been gold found in the area. just get people there. like in Lake Havasu Lake Mead string up a bunch of pam boats and have parties there. do reenactments of Waterworld even, now thats a movie i’d like to see a remake of, Joe. fold it into the Mad Max universe.
ps. speaking of psyops, taking from Lansdale’s playbook of using Aswangs. which i think by the way is just psyops for the psyop community like their crap works lol, i don’t believe people who fought the Japanese can be easily be scared by stories. dollars were thrown people were bought is what i think was behind Lansdale’s “success”. but again i digress, theres a big industry now like with Skinwalker Ranch series or hunting Bigfoot , that’s been invigorated ever since that Tictac video. so why not do some Psyops, showing the Chinese in the WPS as Aswangs or more. like focus Trese towards the WPS. i recently just found out, cuz i’m equating all this stuff recently to Sufi’s taxonomy of jinns, that in fact the Philippines have something similar to skinwalkers namely shapeshifter entities. i forget what they’re called now. these according to Sufis are one type of jinns, whereas another type of jinns are more technology oriented hence the UFOs etc. etc. my point theres an underswell right now of this stuff harkening back to Jacques Vallée theory, why not direct all that to tourism and against China.
I like your ideas but you sometimes connect too many dots further away from the bull’s eye. (dart board after removing all the darts)
just brainstorming how to fill the seas, karl. hell why not an EDSA entertainment complex or casinos at sea. they use to have ’em here.
I like that inundating WPS with traffic tests the true meaning of FONOPS. Not being anti military, but FONOPS should be for civilians
call it the WPS halo-halo policy, karl. just get everybody in there.
Good since everything is meshed up, it does not need to get messed up. It is all in the organization. Yeah FONOPS applies both to Civilian and Military. Rules of engagement is another matter, though part of the halo-halo policies.
you know what filipinos would say to that! provide us them damn sea worthy bangkas and we will try the patience of them damn fonops!
Joe had an article about the Bee Fleet
My favorite photo of all time.
Link to that article: https://joeam.com/2013/08/31/the-bee-fleet-2/
agree withe joeam. such lovely photo. laid back with a hint of danger.
This is another one of them oil and gas standoff. Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines Vietnam and Taiwan have been locked in a decades-long territorial disputes in a contested waterway that is the key passage for global trade. This passageway is believed to be sitting on top of vast undersea deposits of oil and gas.
ASEAN is suppose to be having an ongoing “code of conduct (COC) guidelines” meetings with China and its main focus is on the code’s “legal enforceability and geographic scope” since the non-binding non-aggressive pact of 2002 accord did not deter China from acting aggressively towards SEA sovereign nations it deems to be over-stepping their boundaries. The COC talk is said to be concluded on or before Fall 2026. The thing that enrages China more than anything is the inclusion of the US as an MDT partner of PH and its stand on freedom of navigation and overflight with the law of the seas as its guiding principle. China view US as an outsider and a competing superpower whose prime intention is to interfere where it has no business.
I am very interested in the Aquaculture component of M4. We all know of the recent importation of fish and other marine foodstuff because PH fishermen are unable to fill the demand because of the volatile situation in the WPS and overfishing by foreign elements in PH EEZ. This will create an industry that will not only supply PH with bountiful sea harvest but also double as a deterrent for EEZ tresspassers.
Thanks JP also for being in the same frequency with regards to aquaculture. I also like what Joe said about M4 that it can be independent from the WPS issues and disputes
there used to be fish pens and fish farms in laguna de bay. filipinos owned less than a quarter of pens, most are foreign owned. pens were allegedly demolished coz they were clogging up the lake and making lake navigation untenable. there was also too much pollution with fouling of the water that almost resulted in a dead lake.
The fish farms in Laguna de Bay seem to be freshwater aquaculture. I read that their yield had been decreased by pollution and saltwater intrusion. The new DA secretary revealed that he is planning on reviving the Laguna de Bay aquaculture and raising saltwater tolerant fish. His aim is to lower the price of bangus at the wet market.
For M4, I am envisioning a mariculture (marine aquaculture) industry on PH’s EEZ from the Batanes Islands down to Palawan (area facing SCS). I dream of plentiful supply of fish and ocean bounty for all Filipinos and possibly enough surplus for export. I know it will be a huge undertaking that will need all kinds of resources but a dream can come true.
BTW, I have a few bangus in my freezer from Sarangani Bay, Mindanao.
Beautiful dream. If you are in a writing frame of mind, it would make a great article. How to seed it, protect it, manage it.
seconded
Will try my best, Karl. One of my favorite cable TV channel is RFD-TV (Rural Free Delivery Television). I love its agricultural programs which include aquaculture and mariculture.
visionary! it all starts with a dream. and I always support and buy local produce, no matter what. expensive sometimes, but I cannot take it with me. I love those markets on the roadside, fresh fruits and vegetables and buy more than I should, for my friends back home. lanzones by the kilos! mangoes, too. and the corn, so good for grilling. bundles of sitaw, we are so lucky we have variety of fruits and vegies all year long. it’s a riot of color.
fish, I like them dried with just enough salt and got them from my suki. dried pusit is favorite.
I hope foreigners will not monopolize both of our aguaculture and mariculture, they have the badly needed capital, we dont, and export produce to overseas market where currencies are stronger than ours. we are left with nearly nothing.
Very nice that you will put your passion to good use.
On it. Thank you.
yehey
Karl, thanks for this great article. Just two things as much is already discussed:
1) the Philippines is already building small attack vessels
2) nations at peace can agree to disagree on maritime boundaries, which means even nations with disagreements can set minor stuff aside to deal with a greater challenge, even as Philippine/ASEAN diplomacy might have to evolve.
2a) there is the island that is claimed by both Canada and Denmark near Greenland..
2b) this is a lake not a sea but Germany, Switzerland and Austria have different ideas of how the border is in Lake Constance.
Thanks per usual Irineo for all of the information
Welcome. How accurate is the report on small attack vessels, and how useful are they in reality because I have no clue at all.
12 of 42 have been completed. Each has a range of 560 kilometers, so could reach Scarborough or Second Thomas. The latest variants have an Israeli missile system but probably only one or two missiles. The boats are mostly used for anti-smuggling and rescue/relief. Wiki profiles the program here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multipurpose_Assault_Craft
the small pinoy boats used for anti smuggling look okay, though when apprehending bigger boats, our coastguard are sometimes denied entry and can only speak to the captain tru loudspeaker. contraband carrying bigger boats came prepared and well armed, ready to defend their illegal cargoes like smuggled rice, vegetables, meat and fish, electronics, illegal drugs and sometimes trafficked people, etc. offloading at night and staying well at breakwaters. lgus along coastal routes must know what’s going on but turned blind eye. mayhap well greased. when they could have alerted authorities of clandestine nighttime maritime activities.
apparently once bigger boats unload, the speedboat carrying contraband are intercepted before they can reach piers. though there has been reports our small boats could not readily overtake them, outmaneuvered. else cargoes are ditched at sea, to be picked up by look outs. if our small boats can read trackers placed by smugglers on illegal cargoes, we might be able to trace the cargoes and apprehend contacts. evidence gathered of clandestine activities.
Coast Guard seems like a cool job to me. Not boring.
yay! liza marcos is auxiliary coastguard with three stripes. I hope she is very good swimmer.
Here is a link on a Pinoy shipbuilding that builds MPACs. https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/6/13/ph-shipbuilder-supports-gov-t-push-for-self-reliance-in-naval-coastal-defense-capabilities-1814
this is chance for our govt to push for tatak pinoy brand and put their money where their mouth is.
Agreed!
For more technical details on MPAC acquisition. https://maxdefense.blogspot.com/p/mpac-batch-4-combat-system-and.html?m=1
Irineo, I am fan of queen mary of denmark. the danes being happiest people on earth would not attack canada over an island, not for all the whisky in the world. likewise canadians would probly eat their award winning potain than war denmark over a piece of bald rock, haha.
anyhow, germany, austria and switzerland are not the fu manchu types that weild machetes and bolos and stabbed inflatable boats. nor are they the laser shining hooliganernas determined to blind pilots and cause airplanes to veer off course. all for the love of a lake.
I’ve heard the swiss are afraid they may be drinking water contaminated with ashes of dead germans! via lake constance.
I better stop my funny is threatening to flare up.
made a mistake, make that my funny bone is threatening to flare up.
We have the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, they must have a Maritime body for Maritime economic activities of M4s on our EEZs.
OT muna, carlos yulo won olympic gold 2x! yay! lupang hinirang sang 2x and not bagong pilipinas song, yay! again.
there are things we wanted changed, lupang hinirang is not one of them.
Pwede pa sya maka tatlo
very true. it is sad philippines olympic committee did not have camera crew inside bercy arena to film the final. we did not get to see both of carlos yulo’s gold medal performances. even reporter dyan castellijo was outside bercy arena waiting to interview caloy. maybe she did not have enough money to buy tickets and witness first hand both memorable moments of yulo’s stellar performances.
I was hoping pa naman phil consulate in paris was at the final and got videos of both caloy’s performances and would share with us the full footage.
as well, our hard hitter male boxers sina paalam et al were given early exits, we now only have female boxers nesthy petecio and aira villegas as medal contenders. again, we are not likely to see the full footage of thier bouts. just courtesy snippets. same maybe with pole vaulter obiena.
we just have to be happy with snippets, maybe that’s all philippines can afford. the spirit is willing but the pocket is not.