Philippines allots P300 million for new Pag-asa Island port amid rising tensions

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will allocate P300 million to construct a sheltered port on Pag-asa Island, part of the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea, as tensions in the region continue to rise due to territorial disputes with China.

Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr., vice chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, announced on Sunday that the funds are included in the DOTr’s Maritime Infrastructure Program within the proposed 2025 national budget.

“The P300 million for the Pag-asa Island Sheltered Port Project is itemized in the DOTr’s Maritime Infrastructure Program in the 2025 national budget,” Campos said.

Pag-asa Island, the largest landmass in the Kalayaan Island Group with a land area of 37.2 hectares, lies 518 kilometers west of Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

The island plays a strategic role in the Philippines’ efforts to assert its territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea, an area that has been a flashpoint in the ongoing maritime disputes with China.

“The P300 million will bring to P2.6 billion the cumulative funding for new infrastructure projects in the Kalayaan Island Group,” added Campos, who is married to Makati Mayor Abby Binay.

This development follows House Speaker Martin Romualdez’s visit to Pag-asa in October last year, where he committed to transforming the Kalayaan Island Group into a potential tourist destination akin to the Maldives.

“Following the Speaker’s visit, Congress has since earmarked P1.5 billion to further extend Pag-asa’s 1.3-kilometer runway to accommodate bigger aircraft, plus P800 million for a sheltered port on smaller Lawak Island, both in the 2024 General Appropriations Law,” Campos noted.

The Kalayaan Island Group, which encompasses seven islands including Pag-asa, Lawak, Likas, Parola, Kota, Patag, and Panata, covers a total land area of 83.89 hectares. The group also includes significant maritime features such as Ayungin Shoal, Balagtas Reef, and Rizal Reef.

This latest investment comes amid rising tensions in the region. Two Philippine Coast Guard patrol vessels, BRP Cape Engaño and BRP Bagacay, were recently damaged in collisions with China Coast Guard (CCG) boats near Escoda Shoal, 67 kilometers from Ayungin Shoal.

The incident occurred as the vessels were en route to resupply military outposts on Lawak and Patag.

The Philippines has been accelerating infrastructure development in the Kalayaan Island Group to support civilian settlements and bolster its presence in the region. This effort comes as China continues its aggressive island-building activities in the Spratly Archipelago, heightening the need for the Philippines to assert its territorial rights.

Established as a municipality by Presidential Decree No. 1596 on June 11, 1978, Kalayaan is currently the least populated town in the Philippines, with only 193 residents, all of whom live on Pag-asa Island, according to the 2020 census.

The Kalayaan municipal government is headquartered on Pag-asa.