Benham Rise bills pending before the House

MANILA, Philippines — Amid controversies surrounding China's access to Benham Rise or the Philippine Rise, a few proposed measures regarding the underwater plateau have been pending before the House of Representatives.

The Department of Foreign Affairs had approved the request of Beijing to conduct a marine scientific research in Benham Rise off the coast of Isabela.

Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon noted that he had filed three bills on Benham Rise — the establishment of a Philippine eastern seaboard strategic defense plan, Benham Rise research and development institute and establishing the region as a protected area.

"Before agreeing to foreign activity in the area, we should have these first," Biazon said in Twitter.

RELATED: Cayetano: More research in Benham Rise advantageous to us

Biazon filed House Bill (HB) 5497 or the "Benham Rise Research and Development Institute Act" and HB 5498 or the "Eastern Seaboard Strategic Defense Plan Act" in April 2017. The two proposed measures have been pending before the House committee on government reorganization and committee on national defense and security since May last year.

HB 5497 seeks to establish a government agency that would take charge of the research, development, exploration, conservation and biodiversity concerns of the Benham Rise region.

Under HB 5497, the proposed Benham Rise Research and Development Institute would be under the Department of Science and Technology.

"The said Institute shall likewise be allowed to seek and accept foreign grants to further advance its programs and operations. Accordingly, the Institute shall also have the authority to partner with foreign parties also interested in the exploration of the region," the proposed measure read.

HB 5498, meanwhile, tasks the Department of National Defense and government security agencies to come up with a strategic plan to enhance defense capabilities in the country's eastern seaboard.

In the House bill, Biazon noted that military confrontation is not an option but the country should adopt a strategic plan to develop our capability to protect rights over Benham Rise and the entire eastern seaboard.

"Our Navy and the Coast Guard principally, and the Air Force, secondarily, must be equipped with sufficient assets to carry out this mission, on top of what they already have, which are barely adequate to meet the needs in the West Philippine Sea and Southern Philippines," HB5498 read.

On July 2017, Biazon filed a third bill which seeks to declare Benham Rise a protected area under the Republic Act 7586 or the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act.

Under the proposed measure, it would be the policy of the state to promote the Benham Rise or Philippine Rise region to spread awareness and concern.

"Towards this end, the State shall undertake to carry out comprehrensive and holistic promotions, training and information campaign programs for the benfit of the general public, in pursuance of the duty of the State to uphold the primacy of the protecting preserving and promoting these resources," the house bill read.

HB 6036 or the "Philippine Rise Natural Park Act of 2017" has been pending with the House commttee on natural resoures since July last year.

Benham Rise or Philippine Rise covers 13 million hectares of extended continental shelf east of northern Luzon. In 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf granted the application of the Philippines to include Benham Rise as part of the country's continental shelf.

Under Article 77 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal state "exerciss over the continental shelf sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring it and exploiting its natural resources."