The government is set to lift the ban on maritime scientific research conducted by foreign governments and institutions in Philippine waters, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said Friday.
This was in line with the government’s initiative to promote scientific research in the country’s maritime zones, Esperon said, even as it paves the way for joint exploration by the Philippines and China for oil and natural gas reserves in the West Philippine Sea.
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“Maritime scientific research is good for us and for other research institutions simply because we get to know more of the maritime domain,” he told reporters in a press briefing.
His announcement came ahead of the upcoming National Marine Summit on Oct. 29 to 30 in Manila.
Esperon on Friday also said the government can get a bigger chunk from the 60-40 joint oil and gas exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea.
“Sixty-forty is a desirable sharing but it is not final. It could even go up to 61 or more,” Esperon told Palace reporters.
“One percent is always substantial when you talk about such big investments,” he added.
Esperon, who also chairs the national task force on the West Philippine Sea, said the proposed 60-40 revenue split was “more than fair” since Beijing will “spend for all the extraction and other things.”
“It’s acceptable. That simply tells you that we have the upper hand on it,” he said.
But Esperon said the 60-40 scheme is still subject to change as the inter-governmental steering committee that will supervise the projects will start the first round of talks next week.
He said the Philippine committee will be chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Esperon also said the oil venture might be conducted on the west side of Palawan, including areas near Recto Bank.
In February 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the revocation of existing foreign research studies at the Philippine Rise to assert the country’s ownership of the area and directed the Navy to chase away any vessel violating his directive.
Duterte also said his order would give priority to Filipino researchers who want to explore the maritime zones.
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Esperon said the government will begin again processing permits for marine scientific research.
“We are opening again the processing for permits for MSR since we believe academe has to be deployed and do research for us and for all of mankind to get to know more our maritime domain,” he said.
Filipino scientists must also be permitted to board such foreign research vessels, he said.
“Scientific research are open to institutions and countries and by provisions of the UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]. They simply have to seek the permission of the host country,” Esperon said.
He said the foreign maritime research was suspended by the President last year after some entities conducted it without the government’s nod.
Some applicants also refused to allow Filipino scientists to board their research vessels, he added.
Esperon also said the government is eyeing state-of-the-art research and survey vessels for marine research and to improve sustainable development of the country’s resources.
The Philippines is considered as the “center of the center” of marine biodiversity since it is home to a diverse number of species.
Duterte earlier said Chinese leader Xi Jinping promised to give 60 percent of the revenues to the Philippines from a joint venture, if the country will set aside the 2016 arbitral ruling that affirmed Manila’s sovereign rights over its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
This comes at a time when the country’s gas resources in the Malampaya fields are set to run out by 2024.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that the Philippines had legal rights to exploit gas deposits that China also claims in the Recto Bank, about 85 miles off the Philippine coast.
The Palace, however, previously insisted that the government will not abandon the Philippines’ arbitral ruling and will continue to address maritime conflict through peaceful negotiations with Beijing.
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