By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte is expected to lead a send-off for a group of Filipino scientists that will conduct marine research in the Philippine Rise next week, Malacañang said Tuesday.
The President's upcoming voyage to the area formerly known as Benham Rise will be held this month to mark the first anniversary of the undersea region's renaming.
(Photo courtesy of Oceana/UPLB / MANILA BULLETIN)
"The President will be commemorating the renaming of Benham Rise to Philippine Rise by visiting the Philippine Rise itself and this is on May 15 to 16,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said during a Palace press briefing.
“It will also be to launch the start of scientific research to be conducted by around 50 scientists so the event will be attended by 50 scientists whom the President will be sending off as they start their scientific researches in Philippine Rise,” he added.
Duterte earlier bared plans to set sail to Philippine Rise to assert the country's sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the territory. He insisted that the undersea region, which has an area approximately 24 million hectares, belongs to the Philippines.
The President signed Executive Order No. 25 changing the name of Benham Rise to Philippine Rise last May 16, 2017. The undersea feature is located within the Philippine exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as well as the outer limits of the continental shelf.
The Palace insisted that the area is subject to the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines pursuant to the Constitution, national legislation, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The submerged landmass became controversial last year after Duterte admitted allowing Chinese marine research ships to pass through the area as part of the right to innocent passage.
China then assured Duterte that it would not claim the Benham Rise, recognizing the Manila’s ownership of the underwater area.
Duterte later decided to halt to the marine explorations by foreign entities in the Philippine Rise, giving priority instead to Filipino explorers. Duterte has also authorized the military to chase away foreign vessels in the Philippine Rise.
(Photo courtesy of Oceana/UPLB / MANILA BULLETIN)
"The President will be commemorating the renaming of Benham Rise to Philippine Rise by visiting the Philippine Rise itself and this is on May 15 to 16,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said during a Palace press briefing.
“It will also be to launch the start of scientific research to be conducted by around 50 scientists so the event will be attended by 50 scientists whom the President will be sending off as they start their scientific researches in Philippine Rise,” he added.
Duterte earlier bared plans to set sail to Philippine Rise to assert the country's sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the territory. He insisted that the undersea region, which has an area approximately 24 million hectares, belongs to the Philippines.
The President signed Executive Order No. 25 changing the name of Benham Rise to Philippine Rise last May 16, 2017. The undersea feature is located within the Philippine exclusive economic zone and continental shelf as well as the outer limits of the continental shelf.
The Palace insisted that the area is subject to the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines pursuant to the Constitution, national legislation, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The submerged landmass became controversial last year after Duterte admitted allowing Chinese marine research ships to pass through the area as part of the right to innocent passage.
China then assured Duterte that it would not claim the Benham Rise, recognizing the Manila’s ownership of the underwater area.
Duterte later decided to halt to the marine explorations by foreign entities in the Philippine Rise, giving priority instead to Filipino explorers. Duterte has also authorized the military to chase away foreign vessels in the Philippine Rise.