00:00Interestingly enough, there is construction activity in Pagasa Island of a military facility
00:05and other structures, all part of the AFP's modernization program.
00:10And all the ongoing work amid the visible presence of Chinese vessels monitoring the
00:14waters off of the island as we hear more from our Patrick De Jesus.
00:22Military capability is being strengthened on Pagasa Island where construction of a hangar
00:27is underway for the use of various assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
00:33There is also a control tower for air operations on the island, which will serve as the office
00:38of the Philippine Air Force's Tactical Operations Group, according to the AFP Western Command.
00:44The construction of these facilities, part of the AFP modernization program, is nearing
00:49completion.
00:50And it is already 90 percent completed, so we are looking at this year for the completion
00:56of that facility in Pagasa.
00:58These are just a few of the projects on Pagasa Island that are ongoing despite the presence
01:04of Chinese vessels in the vicinity.
01:07We have to deliver the necessary services and supplies for the completion of all our
01:17projects here in KRG.
01:19Not just in Pagasa, but all of our occupied islands.
01:24At the Manila Dialogue on the South China Sea, the administration of President Ferdinand
01:29R. Marcos, Jr. asserts the country's territorial rights and sovereignty in the West Philippine
01:35Sea while also promoting diplomacy and a peaceful resolution.
01:39In a message from the President, read by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, he stated the Philippines
01:44will cooperate with various countries to uphold the rule of law.
01:48The Philippines will continue to work with ASEAN member states and China towards the
01:55early conclusion of an effective and substantive code of conduct in the South China Sea.
02:03Along with this, we will continue to publicly stand on the foundation of international law,
02:10UNCLOS, and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
02:14National Security Advisor Eduardo Año also called for unity among Filipinos in advancing
02:20our rights in partnership with government initiatives.
02:24We face a choice, either uphold a world governed by rule of law or risk a return to a world
02:32governed by power alone.
02:35But for us peace-loving nations, the South China Sea should not be an arena of conflict,
02:41but it must be a sea that springs cooperation and prosperity without sacrificing our sovereignty,
02:50sovereign rights, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction.
02:54House Speaker Martin Romualdez then assured lawmakers' support in strengthening the military
02:59and Coast Guard to beef up the country's security.
03:03Patrick de Azuz, from the National TV, for a new and better Philippines.
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