The National Maritime Council (NMC) announced on Friday it recommended to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. the continuation of routinary and regular rotation and reprovision (RORE) missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

The recommendation was made by the NMC despite China’s provocative actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“As President Marcos Jr. stated in his keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, we must explore all means to ‘protect our sovereign home to the last square inch, to the last square millimetre.’ Against the backdrop of continuing tensions in our maritime zones, we will not yield, and we will not be deterred from fulfilling this duty,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a press briefing in Malacanang.

“The maritime challenges of the Philippines do not only concern our defense and foreign affairs institutions. They also affect different sectors such as agriculture, fisheries, environment, energy, local governance, transportation, and justice. Therefore, managing our maritime concerns requires effective cooperation among various government agencies. I hope that the National Maritime Council reflects this reality,” he added.

The Council recognizes a peaceful, stable, and prosperous WPS and South China Sea (SCS) is still a distant reality, Bersamin said, adding that the Council agreed on policy recommendations for the President’s consideration.

Among these recommendations include the announcement of RORE missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, which will be conducted in routinary and regular basis. *Such announcement, Bersamin said, will be made before RORE missions are conducted.*

“Security challenges remain in our waters beyond the West Philippine Sea. Let us continue to anchor our policies and strategies on promoting the national interests of our maritime and archipelagic country,” said the Palace official.

The press briefing was conducted after the Council’s second meeting. It was convened in accordance with the mandates specified in Executive Order No. 57, series of 2024, signed by Marcos last March 2024. It was called in light of the recent developments in WPS.

The Executive Order aims to strengthen the Philippines’ maritime security and maritime domain awareness through the enhanced coordination of the National Maritime Council, the Presidential Office for Maritime Concerns, the National Maritime Center and the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea. Presidential News Desk