Philippines building 113 lighthouses to protect maritime jurisdiction

In a bid to secure the Philippines' vast coastline, the Philippine government said it has started the construction of 113 lighthouses.

In his speech during the 113th anniversary of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), President Benigno Aquino III said the government is prioritizing the tasks of securing the country's vast coastline and ensuring that no incidents occur in the Philippines' maritime jurisdiction.

Aquino said modernizing the country's coast guard is important, given the various challenges that the archipelago faces.

''Sa paglipas ng panahon, nagbabagong anyo rin ang kinakaharap nating hamon dala ng ng climate change. Alam natin ang kumplikadong sitwasyon sa kanlurang bahagi ng bansa, at habang nag-iiba ang pangyayari sa tubig, kailangan din bumagay ang mga pamamaraan para tugunan ang mga ito,'' he said.

The President said part of the efforts to improve PCG's capabilities is the construction of 113 lighthouses. He said 109 more may be constructed if the government manages to acquire properties.

The President said he is also proud that the National Coast Watch Center will be operational by April 2015. The agency's establishment comes at a time the Philippines is embroiled in a bitter dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Vice Admiral Rodolfo Isorena said the center is being built with help of the United States government.

Aquino also shared that the Philippines signed a loan agreement in December 2013 worth P9.27 billion for its maritime safety capability improvement project.

He said the Philippines is also expecting the arrival of 40 rubber boats, 300 aluminum boats, 10 multi-role responsive vessels from Japan, and 2 helicopters.

With these improvements, Aquino said he hopes that the Philippines will become ready to face the various problems in securing the country's coastline.

''Ang lahat ng mga inisyatibang ito ay naka-angkla sa iisang prinsipyo: Ang pagiging handa sa anumang problema o tensyong maaaring mangyari sa karagatan, umaga man o gabi, umulan man o umaraw,'' he said.

''Anumang pagkakataon, dapat mulat tayo at alerto sa nakaambang banta o peligro. Dapat nagagabayan ang mamamayan sa tamang mga patakaran sa pagharap sa anumang sitwasyon na maaaaring pagmulan ng tensyon."

Despite the daunting tasks it faces and the limited resources it has, the PCG said sea incidents were down from 569 to 300 due to stricter travel bans.