THE Philippine government has received P87.03 million from the US government as payment for the damage caused by a US Navy minesweeper that ran aground on a protected coral reef two years ago, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.
The minesweeper USS Guardian ran aground and caused damage to the Tubbataha Reef, a World Heritage Site in Palawan, in 2013.
“The compensation will be utilized for the protection and rehabilitation of Tubbataha Reef Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Portions of the fund will also be used to further enhance capability to monitor the area and prevent similar incidents in the future,” the DFA said in a statement.
The department said that aside from the compensation, the US government will also provide additional assistance to the Philippine Coast Guard to upgrade the Coast Guard substation in Tubbataha.
The USS Guardian that ran aground on Jan. 17, 2013 at the South Atoll of the Tubbataha Reef, damaged at least 2,345.67 square meters of the reef area. It was removed two months later after being dismantled and lifted piece by piece by a crane to prevent more damage to the reef.
Tubbataha Management Office park manager Angelique Songco said the amount would cover both the P58.4-million fine imposed by the Philippine government for the restoration of the marine park and the expenses of the Philippine Coast Guard during the salvage operations.
“The United States deeply regrets the incident at the Tubbataha Reef and the damage caused to the reef and has agreed to the total amount of compensation requested by the Philippine government of P87 million ($2.02 million US dollars),” the US embassy in Manila said in a statement Wednesday.
“The payment was transferred on Jan. 20, 2015. We are grateful for the assistance of the Philippines in coordinating with the United States to address this accident, reflecting the deep and enduring alliance between our two nations,” it added.