Manila: The allocation of PHP3.03 billion in funds to beef up the country's infrastructure in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) highlights government efforts to protect the country's vast territories, a ranking naval official said on Tuesday. "The appropriations allocated by the national government for our island features in the WPS is a manifestation of the government's thrust to ensure our forces are secured and sustained as they implement the CADC (Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept)," Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said in a message to the Philippine News Agency.

According to Philippines News Agency, the funding reflects the Marcos administration's commitment to ensuring that "not one square inch" of Philippine territory will be relinquished. The budget includes PHP1.65 billion earmarked by Congress for developing the Pag-asa Island airport and PHP300 million for constructing a shelter port. An additional PHP1.08 billion is allocated for the second phase of the Lawak Island shelter port.

Pag-asa Island, with a land area of 37.2 hectares, is the largest in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG). Lawak, with a land area of 7.93 hectares, ranks as the fourth largest in the KIG and is located 169 km east of Pag-asa. The KIG, with a total land area of 83.89 hectares, also encompasses the islets of Likas, Parola, Kota, Patag, and Panata. Furthermore, the island group includes Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal), Balagtas Reef (Irving Reef), and Rizal Shoal (Commodore Reef).

The Municipality of Kalayaan, situated in the KIG under Palawan province, was established by a presidential decree issued by President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. in 1978.