The Armed Forces of the Philippines is exerting key efforts to further improve the country's presence in its territorial waters in the West Philippines Sea.

AFP's Western Command chief Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos said among these efforts include the effective control of all islands now occupied by the Philippines in the WPS, establishing a stronger naval presence, and enhancing maritime domain awareness in these areas.

"What is certain is that the solution to the WPS maritime issue is not in the hands of the military alone, but the whole-of-nation approach because it takes a consideration of all matters, not just the military," he said during the Stratbase ADRi forum titled "Implementing a Comprehensive Philippine Maritime Framework to Advance Rule of Law" in Makati City on Wednesday.

Carlos underscored that a stronger naval presence involves the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources that continuing to conduct maritime patrols in the country's maritime territory.

The WesCom chief also bared the government is slated to come up with a national strategy in the WPS, anchored to the ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

In the same forum, Acting Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Moya Collett has expressed concern over the "destabilizing behaviors" directed against the Philippines, particularly the recent developments in the disputed Spratlys Island and Scarborough Shoal.

"There have been a number of reports about destabilizing behavior directed towards the Philippines in the South China Sea and we're very concerned about that," Collett lamented.

"We want all activities in the South China Sea and throughout the world to be consistent with international law and UNCLOS in particular," she added.

Meanwhile, Collett bared that Australia is eyeing the possibility of expanding its existing coral reef restoration program in the Philippines, covering the Rozul Reef—previously swarmed by the Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia.

This after, the AFP and the PCG reported that corals in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal had been "extensively destroyed" after the CCG and CMM vacated the waters.

Collett said there are "no specific plans for that at the moment."
"But I think there's potential for us to do that through our existing marine cooperation program," she added.