President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the allotment of 20 hectares of Fuga Island in Cagayan province for the building of a Navy base.

This was confirmed to Rappler by Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Bacordo through a text message on Monday, August 10. He said the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) “will work for it.”

Bacordo confirmed that Duterte issued the order on August 6. Two days later, on August 8, the Philippine Navy held a symbolic flag raising ceremony there to assert the country’s ownership of the island.

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Why does this matter?

Fuga Island is feared to be a target of China’s acquisition and militarization – an extension of its ongoing project in the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea. (READ: Fuga Island: Between Chinese money and national security)

In 2019, CEZA signed a pact with Chinese company Fong Zhi Enterprise to turn the island into a $2-billion “smart city.” The project did not push through after the Navy rang the alarm bells that it might compromise national security.

The allotment of land for the Navy base signals the Philippines’ assertion over its own island, which has a population of around 2,500 people and provides access to the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. – Rappler.com