Student No: 2020-162

Class No: IBC for PNCO CL 2020-23

Date of News: August 10, 2020
Name of Source: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1319507/duterte-orders-part-of-
fuga-island-allotted-for-ph-navy-base
Title of News: Duterte orders part of Fuga Island allotted for PH Navy base
By Line/Author: Frances Mangosing

I. News Summary
On Monday (Aug. 10), Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, Navy chief, told
INQUIRER.net that Duterte has ordered the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority
(CEZA) to set aside a portion of Fuga Island in Cagayan province for use as a
base by the Philippine Navy. The President gave the order last Aug. 6 to allocate
20 hectares on the strategically-located island “for a naval detachment.” It was
mentioned in the report back in 2019, that Ceza entered into a memorandum of
understanding with Chinese company Fong Zhi Enterprise for the development of
the island into a $2B-“smart city.” It was one of the deals secured by Ceza on the
sidelines of Duterte’s visit to China that year. The potential deal, however, did not
move forward. The Philippine Navy had raised concerns that it could compromise
national security.
Even Juan Ponce Enrile, former senator and Cagayan native, also issued a
statement warning against letting China set foot on Fuga. He said that If it falls
into the hands of a foreign power with immense global ambition to achieve and
great national interest to preserve, it will certainly cause the country a very
serious and dangerous security problem.
The Fuga Island group is composed of three islands—Fuga, Mabbag and
Barit—all of which are part of Aparri in Cagayan. Fuga, with a population of about
2,500, is a coastal town in the Babuyan archipelago, which has access to both
Pacific Ocean and South China Sea. It is privately-owned by Isla Fuga Pacific
Resort Inc. and is only being managed by CEZA.
II. Assessment
The Philippines’ Fuga Island, located north of mainland Luzon, could become
an exclusive domain of China if not properly secured by the government. The
primary purpose of China is to take over and utilize the resources of the said
island.

III. Recommendation

In the case of Fuga Island I suggest that the government must continue its
effort in implementing all necessary strategy in order to end China’s desire to
seize our land. It is truly a success in our part after we won against China in
terms of the proving our sense of ownership in the West Philippine Sea. This
must be maintained by our government by not letting any foreign country to take
over what is ours.
NATION

Duterte orders part of

Fuga Island allotted for
PH Navy base
By: Frances Mangosing - Reporter / @FMangosingINQ
INQUIRER.net / 04:38 PM August 10, 2020
MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Cagayan
Economic Zone Authority (Ceza) to set aside a portion of Fuga Island in Cagayan
province for use as a base by the Philippine Navy.

On Monday (Aug. 10), Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo, Navy chief, told
INQUIRER.net that Duterte gave the order last Aug. 6 to allocate 20 hectares on
the strategically-located island “for a naval detachment.”

Navy personnel held a flag-raising ceremony with island residents over the
weekend amid new reports of Chinese investments being funnelled to the island.

Last week, Ceza issued a statement denying that Chinese investors were planning
to take over the 10,000-hectare island located in the country’s second northernmost
island group.

Ceza belied reports that China is setting its sights on Fuga to acquire and militarize
it. Ceza said there are no current investment proposals on Fuga.

Juan Ponce Enrile, former senator and Cagayan native, also issued a statement
warning against letting China set foot on Fuga.

“It is like a dagger pointed at the very heart of the country,” Enrile said.
“If it falls into the hands of a foreign power with immense global ambition to
achieve and great national interest to preserve, it will certainly cause the country a
very serious and dangerous security problem,” he said.

If China were to gain a foothold on Fuga, Enrile said the island could be used to
control the entire Balintang Channel, the maritime border between the Philippines
and Taiwan, a country that China claims to be its province and could be planning
to occupy.

In 2019, Ceza entered into a memorandum of understanding with Chinese

company Fong Zhi Enterprise for the development of the island into a $2B-“smart
city.” It was one of the deals secured by Ceza on the sidelines of Duterte’s visit to
China that year.

The potential deal, however, did not move forward. The Philippine Navy had
raised concerns that it could compromise national security.

A few months after Fuga Island caught the attention of the public, the Philippine
Navy signed a memorandum of agreement with Ceza allowing the Navy to build a
base on the island.

The Fuga Island group is composed of three islands—Fuga, Mabbag and Barit—all
of which are part of Aparri in Cagayan.

Fuga, with a population of about 2,500, is a coastal town in the Babuyan

archipelago, which has access to both Pacific Ocean and South China Sea.

It is privately-owned by Isla Fuga Pacific Resort Inc. and is only being managed by
Ceza.