Gov OKs plan to establish naval base in Catanduanes

By Rhaydz B. Barcia

To protect the country’s sovereignty from possible aggressors coming from the Pacific Ocean, Governor-elect Patrick Azanza said that he is supporting the plan of the Philippine Navy to put up a naval base in Catanduanes.

“The provincial government of Catanduanes must always be supportive of the initiatives of the national government to promote national interest and sovereignty,” Azanza said.

“As Filipinos, it is our duty to defend our territorial rights even as we endeavor to maintain our diplomatic relations with other countries,” he said.

Azanza bared that the national government wanted to construct a naval base in the province for its ground, air and naval assets.

“At the end of the day, we cannot give up even a square inch of Philippine territory,” he said.

“As governor-elect of the province of Catanduanes, I shall always support and work for the interest of our country. That will be a big boost to our national security.”

Vice Admiral Jose Ambrosio Ezpeleta of the Philippine Navy said that they are pushing for the establishment of a naval base in Panay Island, Bagamanoc town in Catanduanes to closely monitor the Benham Rise and the Philippine marine resource reserve.

Ezpeleta, former commander of Naval Forces Southern Luzon, said that the Philippine Navy is coordinating with the provincial government of Catanduanes to acquire the land for the proposed operating base in Panay Island.

“We need to develop a forward operating base. We need to procure land because this is a very strategic area to monitor the east coast side of the Philippines. We need to watch over the Benham Rise thoroughly because Catanduanes is the nearest area to closely monitor the Benham Rise and cover the east coast side of our country,” he said.

“We need to put our forces there to react and monitor the activities of the intruders. We can easily check the activity in the east coast side as we will put up surveillance systems and radar where the Loran (Long Range Aid to Navigation) used by the US forces in the past is located.”

The Loran complex of the United States Coast Guard was built in the early 1950s to protect the country from intruders passing through the Pacific Ocean and was abandoned in 1972.

A Chinese research vessel was spotted near Rapu-Rapu island town in Albay and in Catanduanes last year and a submersible drone was recovered by local fishermen in the waters of Masbate.

Ezpeleta was in Legazpi City on Thursday to grace the turnover ceremony of a renovated building of the Philippine Navy as Dental and Medical Dispensary of the Naval Forces Southern Luzon – Philippine Navy.

The new Dental and Medical Dispensary of the Naval Forces Southern Luzon was renovated by the SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI) to provide medical services to the sailors including their dependents and the public.

“This facility can be seen as a sanctuary of hope, where one can receive care and healing from illness. It will provide comfort to many. Let us all take care of these facilities and not waste the opportunity presented to us,” Ezpeleta said.

He noted the importance of access to healthcare and dental services.

“This facility will ensure that our personnel are healthy and that their well-being is prioritized, which means being free from illness. This is crucial for safeguarding the health of our people, with the support of SM,” Ezpeleta added.