Major naval base in Palawan planned

From the Manila Bulletin (Oct 3): Major naval base in Palawan planned

Oyster Bay, Palawan — Its mangrove-fringed coral reefs support an abundant fish population. Its deep, blue waters are unmuddied by the monsoons that batter the western Philippines coastline.

But the cancelled visit by US President Barack Obama to Asia could have heralded the start of dramatic changes to Oyster Bay, a postcard-perfect cove on Palawan Island that the Philippines expects to transform into a port for its naval frigates and eventually for American warships — all overlooking the disputed South China Sea.

Developing this remote island paradise into a military facility could exacerbate tensions with China, whose sovereignty claims over the vast, mineral-rich South China Sea, one of the world’s most important waterways, set it directly against US allies Vietnam and the Philippines. Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also claim parts of the sea.

Rebuilding ties with the Philippines, including helping to upgrade its ill-equipped military, has been an important part of a U.S. rebalancing of its strategic focus towards Asia that is seen as a bid to check China’s growing power.

President Benigno Aquino has launched a $1.8-billion modernization program and revived plans to build new air and naval bases at Subic Bay, the largest US military installation in Southeast Asia before it was shuttered in 1992.

Also on the cards is the development of Oyster Bay, which lies about 550 km (340 miles) southwest of Manila.

“It will be a mini-Subic,” Commodore Joseph Rostum O. Peña, commander of the Philippines’ western navy, said in the first public comments about converting Oyster Bay into a major naval base.

A future port here would extend the reach of the navy’s two frigates, both former US Coast Guard cutters, over the disputed Spratly Islands, in the southern part of the South China Sea, he said in an interview from his office overlooking the mouth of the bay.

http://www.mb.com.ph/major-naval-base-in-palawan-planned/