Navy: Proposed Batanes port may be used in emergencies, aid response

The Philippine Navy said on Tuesday that the planned construction of a US-funded port in Batanes could be used during crises, including humanitarian and disaster response, as the Philippines boosts its defense posture in the country’s northernmost province nearest to Taiwan.

Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the new port in the province would be beneficial not only to the military but also to Batanes residents.

“The Philippine Navy and the Armed Forces are always preparing for any eventuality across the spectrum of conflict from peace, to crisis to wartime,” Trinidad told reporters at a press briefing on Tuesday.

Alternative port

On Saturday, Batanes Gov. Marilou Cayco said the US Army would visit the province in April this year to discuss the construction of a new civilian port there.

No other details were provided. The port in the capital town of Basco serves as the main docking point in the province.

As early as August last year, there were already talks to build “an alternative port” in the province after Cayco sought funding from the United States, according to a Reuters report.

Batanes is being eyed as among the possible sites in April for the next “Balikatan” exercises between Filipino and American forces, Philippine Army Col. Michael Logico earlier said.

READ: Philippines to deploy over 100 naval reservists to Batanes

According to Trinidad, “exercises with foreign counterparts are also designed to improve our capability” and part of military drills are “exercise-related constructions to be able to assist foreign forces and our local forces.”

He added that any new construction would “capacitate the local community that hosts the exercise,” saying “[it] could be for any eventuality during crisis, typhoons and humanitarian and disaster response.”