A MAGNITUDE 5.2 earthquake rocked Abra province in northern Philippines on Monday morning, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), less than a week after a magnitude 7 temblor killed almost a dozen people there.
The quake struck at 2:48 a.m. 10 kilometers (km) southeast of San Ramon town and had a depth of 10 km, the USGS said on its website.
The quake was also felt in Ilocos and Baguio City in the country’s north, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in a bulletin posted on its website.
Phivolcs said separately in a Facebook post it had recorded 2,010 aftershocks since the July 27 quake.
Last week’s earthquake affected more than 380,000 people from more than 100,000 families the local disaster agency said in an 8 a.m. report.
The earthquake damaged almost 25,000 houses, while infrastructure damaged had reached more than P700 million, it said.
Meanwhile, irrigation damage had risen to P243.33 million, according to the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
The agency said 27 irrigation systems were damaged, affecting more than 3,000 hectares of agricultural land. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
GRANDMASTERS (GM) Banjo Barcenilla, John Paul Gomez and Darwin Laylo saved the day for the Philippines as it smashed Cyprus, 3-1, on Monday night to keep its bid for 44th World Chess Olympiad glory alive in Chennai, India.
Messrs. Barcenilla, Gomez and Laylo essayed impressive wins over Alexandros Isaakidis, Ioannis Damianou and Michalis Florentiades on boards two to four, respectively, that made up for GM Mark Paragua’s stinging defeat to FIDE Master Konstantinos Michaelides on top board.
It was a win that catapulted the Filipinos, who are being sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, back into contention as they zoomed to a 63-way logjam at 26th place with four match points to show.
The Eugene Torre-coached squad, seeded 52nd, could barge into the top 20 if it could overcome 89th seed Monaco in the fourth round at press time.
The national team is resting Mr. Paragua in favor of International Master (IM) Paulo Bersamina after his sorry defeat that started when he made an errant rook move in the middle game that blew away his chances to win or at least draw.
WOMEN’S TEAM It was more heartbreaking for the women’s team, which appeared to have headed to a shock 2-2 draw to 18th seed Serbia only to see WFM Shania Mae Mendoza blew a drawn position and lost to WIM Adela Velikic on board three.
The rest — WGM Janelle Mae Frayna and WIMs Jan Jodilyn Fronda and Kylen Joy Mordido — all drew their games on boards one, two and four with WGMs Teodora Injac and Jovana Eric and WIM Marina Gacin, respectively.
Ms. Mordido, the youngest member of the team at 19 years old and is being tipped to become the country’s WGM, had her chances for a victory but she missed a pawn capture late that could have earned her a pawn edge and a lasting advantage.
Ms. Mendoza’s loss wasted Ms. Fronda’s valiant effort when she clawed her way back from a pawn down and a cramped position to steal a draw from her higher-ranked WGM opponent.
The Philippines, tied for 22nd spot along with 52 others with four points, was battling Angola in the fourth round with WIM Marie Antoinette San Diego replacing Ms. Mendoza in the roster. — Joey Villar
THE Philippine track and field team’s medalists pose with the national flag after seeing action in the athletic competition of the 11th ASEAN Para Games at the Manahan Stadium on Monday. In photo are Cendy Asusano, who bagged a gold medal in the women’s javelin throw, (third from left) and bronze medalists — sprinter Arman Dino (left), discus thrower Jessebel Tordecilla (second from left), shot put thrower Joel Balatucan (right), and 5,000-meter runner Daniel Enderes, Jr. (standing, right).
SURAKARTA — Swimming delivered the country’s first pair of gold medals in the 11th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Para Games Monday as Ernie Gawilan and Roland Sabido splashed their way to the top of their respective events at the Jatadiri Sports Complex pool in the neighboring city of Semarang.
Comely thrower Cendy Asusano added the third gold in early morning action in ruling the women’s javelin throw F54 at the Manahan Stadium for a promising start for the PHL para-athletes, a majority of them competing for the first time since the 2017 edition of the meet held in Malaysia.
A triple gold medalist in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games, Mr. Gawilan kicked off the Philippine campaign in ruling the men’s 400-meter freestyle S7 in a time of four minutes and 54.87 seconds in the outing sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Then Mr. Sabido and Arnel Aba led a 1-2 finish in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S9 in clocking 5:09.40 and 5:14.13, respectively, much to the delight of the small Filipino crowdat the pool led by Philippine Paralympic Committee President Mike Barredo.
Mr. Gawilan, 31, who won a pair of golds and silvers in the regional meet for para athletes held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur five years ago.
The Davao City pride was aiming for another mint as he was scheduled to compete in the 4×100 meter freestyle relays 34 points in the afternoon with Messrs. Sabido, Aba and Edwin Villanueva, who copped a bronze medal in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S8.
Also contributing a bronze medal each for athletics were Joel Balatucan, Daniel Enderes, Jr., Armand Dino and Jesebel Tordecilla in the men’s shot put F55, men’s 5,00-meter T20 race, men’s 100-meter T47 race, and women’s discus throw F55, respectively.
Overnight, table tennis also made its modest medal contribution with two bronze medals in the men’s team Class 4 through Billy Cartera, Racleo Martinez and Darwin Salvacion and men’s class 8 doubles courtesy of Jobert Lumanta and Jayson Ocampo.
Counting the silver in men’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball last Sunday, the Filipinos now boast an early overall medal tally of three gold, two silver and seven bronze medals.
More medals were expected to come in the afternoon in swimming, track and field and powerlifting, where two-time Asian Para Games silver medalist Achelle Guion is vying in the women’s 46-kilogram division.
Among those likewise expected to figure prominently for gold are wheelchair racer Jerrold Mangliwan, who will see action in the men’s 100-meter dash T52, and Jeannete Aceveda in the women’s discus throw F11-13 plus Angel Otom in the women’s 50-meter backstroke S5.
The country’s standard-bearers aim to surpass the haul of 20 gold, 20 silver and 29 bronze medals, good for fifth overall, of the country in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur in 2017.
CHRIS Newsome leads Meralco Bolts against Barangay Ginebra Kings. — PBA MEDIA
AFTER getting the monkey off its back against playoff nemesis Barangay Ginebra, fired-up Meralco trains its sights on another franchise first in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup.
“Meralco’s never been to the finals in the All-Filipino so we can use that as motivation,” skipper Chris Newsome said ahead of the Bolts’ best-of-seven semifinal showdown with top seed San Miguel Beer (SMB). “We recognize that we still have more history that we can make.”
The Bolts are on a high after scoring their breakthrough series win in seven post-elims duels with the Gin Kings via a 2-1 quarterfinal verdict. Led by Newsome’s triple-double outing and Raymond Almazan’s go-ahead triple, Meralco finally got its turn to send Ginebra packing with a thrilling 106-104 clincher on Sunday.
“We go over the hump against Ginebra, but it’s just one step. There’s another goal that we haven’t reached yet, which is getting to the finals,” saidMr. Newsome.
This next mission versus SMB starts tomorrow in a Final Four double-header that also features defending champion TnT and its vanquished rival last year, Magnolia, in an equally explosive matchup.
Mr. Newsome and company brace for a major fight against the powerhouse San Miguel crew led by six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Jericho Cruz, Mo Tautuaa andChris Ross.
“It’s going to be tough, especially with their lineup. But we’re looking forward to this series,” said the do-it-all Fil-Am.
“Like I’ve said, if you wanna get to the top, you have to beat the best. San Miguel is one of the best, if not the best, in the All-Filipino. So, we have to go through them if we wanna go to the finals,” he added.
Meralco is drawing added confidence from having beaten San Miguel the last two times they squared off in the playoffs. The Bolts defeated the twice-to-beat Beermen two times in the 2020 Philippine Cup bubble quarterfinals then cashed on their win-once incentive when they met again in the 2021 Governors’ Cup Last-8. — Olmin Leyba
PLDT Power Hitters beat short-handed Cignal HD Spikers. — PHILIPPINE STAR/JUN MENDOZA
ARMY BLACK Mamba and PLDT seek to become the last two teams to make the semifinals to possibly the first ones to clinch a finals spot as the two open semis hostilities on Tuesday in the Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Invitational at the Filoil EcoOil Centre.
The Power Hitters caught a big break and capitalized on it by surviving the short-handed Cignal HD Spikers, their sister team, with a 25-19, 25-20, 21-25, 25-22 win on Saturday.
The Lady Troopers lost their last game, to the Creamline Cool Smashers, 25-20, 25-22, 25-16, but took the last slot following the Choco Mucho Flying Titans’ painful defeat to the Petro Gazz Angels, 28-26, 25-21, 25-16, on Saturday.
They joined Creamline, Cignal and foreign teams Kobe Shinwa of Japan and King Whales of Taipei in the single-round robin semis where the top two set up a one-game title showdown.
Army and PLDT will take the first crack at that as the two face off at 4 p.m. with the winner seizing the early lead.
Army is expected to rely on its veteran squad composed of MVP candidate Jovelyn Gonzaga, Mary Jean Pabayo, Nene Bautista, Joanne Bunag and Honey Royse Tubino and newly recruited setter Ivy Perez.
PLDT, for its part, should draw strength from the inspire plays of Mika Reyes and Fiona Ceballos, who fired 14 and 13 points, in their team’s semis-clinching win over Cignal.
Both Army and PLDT are expected to make the most of their first semis appearance in the league since rejoining the pro-outfit last year. — Joey Villar
LONDON — An extra time strike from forward Chloe Kelly gave England a 2-1 win over Germany in the Women’s European Championship final on Sunday to claim their first ever major title in front of a record crowd on home soil.
Substitute Kelly reacted quickest to a loose ball from a corner in the second period of extra time to give her side the win and avenge their defeat by Germany in the 2009 Euro final in Helsinki.
England coach Sarina Wiegman became the first manager to win the Euros — men’s or women’s — with two different nations having led her native Netherlands to the title in 2017. She was appointed England boss in September last year and the side has not lost since.
On an unforgettable day for England, the hosts opened the scoring in the 62nd minute through forward Ella Toone in front of a sell-out crowd at Wembley Stadium, the 87,192 attendance a record for a UEFA tournament, men’s or women’s.
Substitute Lina Magull brought Germany back into the game to send it to extra time but Kelly popped up at the right time to clinch it for England and send the home fans wild.
Germany suffered a blow in the warm-up as striker Alexandra Popp, who had scored six goals in five games in her debut Euros, suffered a muscle injury and had to pull out of the lineup and was replaced by Lea Schuller.
PHYSICAL ENCOUNTER Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side missed Popp’s presence in the box, but it was a heavily physical encounter that produced a goalless first half.
Toone opened the scoring shortly after the hour mark with a beautiful chipped finish, moments after coming out as a substitute.
However, that was canceled out by Magull who fired in an equalizer from close range 17 minutes later after the hosts had been pushed back by their opponents.
The match finished 1-1 after 90 minutes to take it into extra time where the atmosphere died down a little as the thought of Germany winning a record-extending ninth Euros crown at the home of English football began to permeate.
That was until the 110th minute when Kelly, who had moments before urged the crowd to raise their voices and cheer the side on, reacted quickest to stab in the winner and inflict Germany’s first defeat in a major final.
“It doesn’t seem real. I’m buzzing my head off. Honestly, the best moment of my career, best moment of my life. I’m so proud to be a part of this group,” Toone said.
England’s Beth Mead won the Player of the Tournament award for her six goals and five assists, helping her side score a record 22 times during the tournament. — Reuters
CARLOS Rodon struck out 10 over seven innings and the bottom five hitters in the San Francisco order provided all the offense as the Giants made it three out of four against the visiting Chicago Cubs with a 4-0 victory on Sunday night.
Jason Vosler and Austin Wynns drove in two runs apiece while Dixon Machado, acquired earlier in the day from the Cubs, got on base twice via a single and a hit batsman and scored once for the Giants, who finished the month of July just 11-17 despite their 3-1 series win over Chicago.
With trade rumors swirling and rival scouts following every pitch, Rodon (9-6) dominated the Cubs, allowing just a pair of singles over his seven innings. He didn’t walk anyone en route to his sixth double-digit strikeout effort of the season.
Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki had the Cubs’ only hits against Rodon. Chicago never got a runner past first base against the left-hander.
John Brebbia allowed third and fourth Cubs hits to Patrick Wisdom and P.J. Higgins before wrapping up a scoreless eighth, and Camilo Doval worked a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts to complete the Giants’ fifth shutout of the season.
San Francisco did all its scoring in the fourth inning when, with two outs, LaMonte Wade Jr. walked, Mike Yastrzemski singled and Machado was hit by a pitch, loading the bases.
Vosler then connected on his two-run single to left-center, after which Wynns, batting ninth, blasted a two-RBI double to center, accounting for the four runs.
Cubs starter Adrian Sampson (0-2) was pulled at inning’s end, charged with all four runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out six.
Machado’s hit came in the sixth inning. He was starting at shortstop in place of Thairo Estrada, who entered concussion protocol after getting hit by a pitch Saturday. Estrada in turn had been subbing for Brandon Crawford, who is out with a knee injury.
Machado had been playing for the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate in Iowa. He hadn’t appeared in a major league game since playing for the Detroit Tigers in 2018.
Vosler finished with two hits and Tommy La Stella collected a single and a double for the Giants, who had opened the second half with seven straight losses before the Cubs came to town.
The Cubs finished July with an 11-14 record, their four consecutive losing month. — Reuters
TEL AVIV — Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) Neymar scored twice with Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos contributing the other two goals as they romped to a 4-0 victory over Nantes in the French Super Cup at the Bloomfield Stadium on Sunday.
It was the ninth time in 10 years that the Parisians had won the traditional season-opening clash between the Ligue 1 champions and the French Cup winners, which has been regularly played outside of the country over the last decade.
PSG’s array of world-class talent did not disappoint the Israeli crowd with Messi opening the scoring in the 22nd minute, after a through ball from Neymar that allowed him to round the goalkeeper and net from a tight angle.
Neymar added a second from a curling free kick on the stroke of half time before Sergio Ramos, who spent most of last season out injured after his move from Real Madrid, added the third with an audacious backheel from close range in the 57th minute.
The final goal came in the 82nd minute after Neymar was fouled by Nantes defender Jean Claude Castelletto, who was sent off, and the Brazilian converted the subsequent spotkick. — Reuters
HALL of Fame center Bill Russell passed away peacefully on Sunday at the age of 88, according to his official Twitter account.
A five-time National Basketball Association (NBA) MVP and 12-time All-Star, Russell was an 11-time NBA champion as a player with the Boston Celtics. He also was the first Black head coach in North American professional sports history and helped the club win two more titles.
A member of the NBA’s 25th, 50th and 75th anniversary teams, Russell was as well known for his commitment to social justice.
“Bill Russell was the greatest champion in all of team sports,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “The countless accolades that he earned for his storied career with the Boston Celtics — including a record 11 championships and five MVP awards — only begin to tell the story of Bill’s immense impact on our league and broader society.
“Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect and inclusion that he stamped into the DNA of our league. At the height of his athletic career, Bill advocated vigorously for civil rights and social justice, a legacy he passed down to generations of NBA players who followed in his footsteps. Through the taunts, threats and unthinkable adversity, Bill rose above it all and remained true to his belief that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.”
Russell averaged 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds over 13 seasons (1956-69) with the Celtics. He was first inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1975, then again as a coach in 2021.
His No. 6 jersey is retired by the Celtics.
“But for all the winning, Bill’s understanding of the struggle is what illuminated his life,” read a statement from his Twitter account. “From boycotting a 1961 exhibition game to unmask too-long-tolerated discrimination, to leading Mississippi’s first integrated basketball camp in the combustible wake of Medgar Evers’ assassination, to decades of activism ultimately recognized by his receipt of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, Bill called out injustice with an unforgiving candor that he intended would disrupt the status quo, and with a powerful example that, though never his humble intention, will forever inspire teamwork, selflessness and thoughtful change.
“Bill’s wife, Jeannine, and his many friends and family thank you for keeping Bill in your prayers. Perhaps you’ll relive one or two of the golden moments he gave us, or recall his trademark laugh as he delighted in explaining the real story behind how those moments unfolded. And we hope each of us can find a new way to act or speak up with Bill’s uncompromising, dignified and always constructive commitment to principle. That would be one last, and lasting thing, for our beloved #6.”
Russell won two NCAA championships at the University of San Francisco and led the team to 55 straight wins. He also led the United States to a gold medal in men’s basketball in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. — Reuters
GEORGE Erwin M. Garcia answers questions during a press conference on April 27 when he was election commissioner. — PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has named his former election lawyer, George Erwin M. Garcia, as chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“I hereby submit for confirmation of the Commission on Appointments (CA), the ad interim appointment of Mr. George Erwin M. Garcia to the position of chairman, Commission on Elections, for a term expiring on February 2, 2029,” Mr. Marcos said in an appointment letter dated July 22.
Mr. Garcia briefly served as Comelec commissioner from March to May this year.
His appointment, along with several other officials appointed by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, was bypassed by the CA on June 1 in the absence of a quorum.
Before his stint in Comelec, Mr. Garcia lawyered for Mr. Marcos in his 2016 vice-presidential protest that he eventually lost.
He was also the lawyer of Senator Grace Poe-Llamanzares in a lawsuit that sought to disqualify her from the 2016 presidential race.
Mr. Garcia earlier said that he would push for an overhaul of existing election laws to keep up with the changing times.
He also said that he planned to lobby for a law that would give Comelec power to go after fake news peddlers during campaign periods.
FIRE Meanwhile, Comelec on Monday gave assurance that voter information and election data were unaffected by the fire that broke out in the Comelec’s information technology department office on Sunday evening.
In a statement, acting Comelec Spokesperson John Rex C. Laudiangco said all election servers and data remained safe since they were stored in a secure location away from the fire.
“Given the limited area directly affected by the fire, other digital and physical files, administrative operational or judicial are all safe, secure, intact and unaffected,” he said. “Back-up of such is intact and safe as well, kept as well at our secured vault.”
Election results and data will also remain live on Comelec’s website. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
TRIBUTES poured in for the late Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos, who passed away Sunday, with business groups and state agencies honoring his achievements for the country’s economy, good governance reforms, the peace process in the south, and foreign policies.
The business community recognized Mr. Ramos, who was also commonly referred to by his initials FVR, for initiating structural reforms and good governance programs during his presidential term from 1992 to 1998.
“His administration was distinguished by impressive reforms on energy, economic liberalization, infrastructure and social reform, among others, which fuelled an engine for national progress built on his twin themes of people empowerment and global competitiveness,” the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) said in a statement.
“His good governance program is unparalleled. He has undoubtedly served the country with the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and transparency,” it added.
MAP said Mr. Ramos’ “unifying leadership” and push for complete staff work “has become and should continue to be the benchmark for national and local governance.”
The Supreme Court said its members will remember Mr. Ramos as a proponent of justice and judicial reform.
“During hispresidency, he consistently pledged his support to the Judiciary’s campaign for modernization and judicial excellence,” it said in a statement. “His commitment to justice helped strengthen the Judiciary.”
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has already declared a 10-day period of national mourning over the passing of Mr. Ramos.
In Congress, resolutions were adopted at both the Senate and House of Representatives expressing sympathy and mourning for FVR’s death while legislators issued statements recognizing his pivotal role in Philippine history.
Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said FVR will be remembered for his Philippines 2000 program, which envisioned the country as a newly industrialized nation by the turn of the century, and turning a nation that was then dubbed as the Sick Man of Asia into Asia’s Next Tiger Economy.
Senator Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, for her part, said Mr. Ramos was one of the “most dogged navigators” of the Philippines’ “contested democracy.”
She said that Mr. Ramos made a strong foundation for political recovery and economic stability, “which reinvigorated a country emerging from the very dark shadow of the Martial Law dictatorship.”
Mr. Ramos helped topple the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos’ regime as one of his military generals.
“His experience as a military general and his innate charm set the blueprint for what Philippine leaders should be: tough when necessary, but with a caring heart for the common Filipino,” House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez said.
He was hailed as a hero by many Filipinos for leading a coup against the dictator and supporting his successor in 1986.
Ms. Hontiveros said Mr. Ramos’ “clear articulation of Philippines 2000 engaged many stakeholders, giving our country a chance to stand tall beside other Asian economies.”
Senate President Pro-Tempore Loren B. Legarda described him as an executive chief who promoted people empowerment and global competitiveness, saying that he “left a legacy that demonstrated resolute courage, excellent leadership and unwavering allegiance.”
“He led various economic reform initiatives which pushed for the deregulation of key industries and the liberalization of the economy and encouraged the privatization of public entities, to include the modernization of public infrastructure through an expanded Build-Operate-Transfer law,” she said. His policies and programs stabilized the country’s economy.
At the same time, Ms. Hontiveros noted that some of Mr. Ramos’ policies somehow widened inequality in the Philippines.
“The liberalization and deregulation of too many industries, while a boon for foreign investors then, started to widen inequality here at home,” she said.
Mr. Ramos’ market-driven policies are among the reasons why the promises of the “EDSA project” remain largely unfulfilled, the senator said.
“Ironically [it even enabled] the political comeback of the heir of the dictatorship,” she said. “It is now up to our generation to realize a more equitable distribution of wealth and opportunities, as Filipinos face inflation, poverty, hunger, and unemployment today.”
PEACE TALKS Mr. Zubiri, who comes from the southern island of Mindanao, also credited the former military general for the signing of a peace agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 1996 and for bringing the Spratlys issue to the world’s attention.
Lanao Del Sur Rep. Zia A. Adiong, in a tweet, said Mr. Ramos’ pursuit of negotiations with both the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front paved the way for “major developments in the area of peace process.”
“We enjoy what we have in the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) right now because of him. It all started with him,” Mr. Adiong said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), meanwhile, said in a statement: “President Ramos was widely considered as a ‘foreign policy’ president who shaped the evolution of the DFA by instituting economic diplomacy and the protection of overseas Filipinos as pillars of Philippine foreign policy.
During his term, he focused on post-Cold War opportunities offered in multilateral and economic diplomacy, and raised the profile of the Philippines in the region and globally.
“His contributions to our foreign policy will continue to benefit future generations of Filipinos. The DFA community extends its support and prayers to the Ramos family at this difficult time,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo said in a tweet on Monday.
Foreign nations have also expressed their sympathies, including the United States, Japan, France, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Denmark, Australia, India, Taiwan, and the European Union. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, and Matthew Carl L. Montecillo
A BILL declaring a portion of Benham Rise, locally known as the Philippine Rise, as protected area has been filed at the Senate.
Senate Bill 591, filed by Senator Cynthia A. Villar, chair of the Senate Environment Committee, seeks to proclaim the part of Benham Bank within the Philippine’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) as a Marine Resource Reserve under the National Integrated Protected Areas System.
Passage of the law will institutionalize and provide adequate funds for the Philippine Rise Marine Resource Reserve (PMRR), which will also enhance the country’s sovereignty over its waters and resources.
Ms. Villar said the proclamation of the portion of the Benham Rise as a marine protected area in 2018 was just an initial step towards fulfilling the requirements for a full-fledged protected area.
The senator said the state of habitats and biodiversity in the area must be closely monitored as the PMRR is the first marine protected area in the Philippine EEZ where fishery operations are regular.
Regular expeditions must be conducted to establish long-term trends in the ecological integrity and biodiversity of Benham Rise, she added.
The Philippine Rise, located east of northern Philippines, is an area that has abundant marine species and untapped mineral resources and gas deposits.
In 2009, the Philippines filed a partial claim with the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf for Philippine Rise, which was approved three years after.
Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued an executive order in 2017 that renamed Benham Rise to Philippine Rise. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan
