BY FREDDIE G. LAZARO
SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Operatives of the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) and Naval Forces Northern Luzon (NFNL) have completed the construction of sovereign markers in the 11 uninhabited islands in the northern part of the Philippines.
Navy Lieutenant Jaypee B. Abuan, the spokesperson of the NFNL, said Wednesday that the markers were completed and were formally unveiled on August 18, 2020.
“The sovereign marker symbolizes the assertion of our country’s absolute sovereignty over the 11 uninhabited islands and over the surrounding territorial waters. This also signifies actual physical occupation and development efforts that remove any doubt on the Philippines’ ownership of these islands,” he said.
These 11 islands which belong to the Babuyan Island Group and Batanes Group of Island are Ali Island, Dinem Island, Siayan Island and Misanga Island; all in Itbayat, Batanes; Vohos Island and Dequey Island, both in Sabtang, Batanes; Pinon Island, Pamoctan Island and Balintang Island, all in Calayan, Cagayan; and Palaui Island and Dos Hermanas Island, both in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.
The NOLCOM and NFNL were directed last year by President Duterte to install sovereign markers in the northern-most uninhabited islands after he made an aerial ocular inspection of the earthquake-stricken island of Itbayat.
The 11 islands were selected based on their strategic relevance. These islands are conspicuously located at the fringes of the island clusters of the Babuyan Group of Islands (BGI) and the Batanes Island Group (BIG).
The sovereign markers are clearly visible to ships transiting the waterways connecting the West Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and health regulations imposing community quarantine, the completion of the sovereign markers project took six months.
Inclement weather and unfavorable sea conditions were also among the challenges encountered by the construction team.
Abuan said the Philippine Navy continues to intensify its efforts in securing and protecting the northern maritime territory of the country. (Freddie G. Lazaro)
