Marcos strengthens Phl maritime security amid China's territorial threats

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued an executive order to enhance the nation's maritime defense capabilities as China persists in intimidating the Philippines within its territorial waters in the West Philippine Sea.

Per Executive Order No. 57, the Presidential Communications Office released on Sunday, Marcos ordered the concerned agencies to strengthen maritime security due to the ongoing threats to the country's territorial integrity and Filipinos' peaceful livelihood without fear of violence or compulsion.

“Despite efforts to promote stability and security in our maritime domain, the Philippines continues to confront a range of serious challenges that threaten not only the country's territorial integrity, but also the peaceful existence of Filipinos, including their fundamental right to live in peace and freedom, free from fear of violence and threat,” Marcos said.

"Strengthening the country's maritime security and domain awareness is imperative to comprehensively tackle the crosscutting issues that impact the nation's national security, sovereignty, sovereign rights, and maritime jurisdiction over its extensive maritime zones,” Marcos added.

Under EO 57, the National Coast Watch Council (NCWC) became the National Maritime Council (NMC), chaired by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

Under the direction of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, the NMC has been entrusted with creating and disseminating guidelines for the efficient execution of EO 57 no later than sixty days after it becomes effective.

The Secretaries of the National Security Council (NSC), Agriculture (DA), Energy (DOE), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Foreign Affairs (DFA), and National Defense (DND) are the members of the NMC.

The Solicitor General, the Director General of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), and the Secretaries of Finance (DOF), Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Transportation (DOTr) are all members of the NMC.

The NCWC Secretariat, now known as the Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns (POMC), was given new duties that include ensuring the efficient and successful implementation of the council's policies in addition to providing advisory, research, administrative, and technical services to the NMC.

Presidential Assistant for Maritime Concerns Andres Centino, named the POMC head, has the responsibility of immediately reporting to the President on situations that are urgent and crucial to the nation's marine security and domain awareness.

Meanwhile, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) – established to coordinate, synchronize, and execute the utilization of various agencies' capabilities for cohesive actions in the WPS will be placed under the supervision of the NMC and will receive policy directives from the President through the NMC.

The EO 57, authorized by Bersamin on behalf of the President, will become effective immediately upon its publication in the Official Gazette or a widely circulated newspaper, where a comprehensive roster of the NMC's powers and duties, as well as the supporting agencies, is provided, alongside the roles of the POMC and the National Maritime Center.