By Junex Doronio 

MANILA — Following the latest aggressive acts of China in the West Philippine Sea, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. has signed an executive order calling for the strengthening of the country’s maritime security and maritime domain awareness.

This was disclosed on Sunday (31 March 2024) by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) headed by veteran journalist and lawyer Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil.

The PCO said Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 57 to strengthen maritime security and raise awareness on the maritime domain amid “serious challenges” threatening the Philippines’ territorial integrity and the “peaceful existence of Filipinos.”

“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,” the President said.

Under EO 57, the National Coast Watch Council has been renamed and reorganized into the National Maritime Council (NMC) chaired by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.

“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 Jr. further said.

The President also ordered the NMC to formulate and issue guidelines for the effective implementation of EO 57 within 60 days from its effectivity.

It was learned that the NMC will have as members the secretaries of the following departments:

Department of National Defense (DND);

National Security Adviser (National Security Council);

Department of Agriculture (DA);

Department of Energy (DOE);

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR);

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA);

Department of Finance (DOF);

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); and

Department of Transportation (DOTr).

The Solicitor General and the director general of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency were also named members of the NMC.

(el Amigo/MNM)