PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order No. 57 aimed at strengthening the country’s maritime security and maritime domain awareness of Filipinos.
This comes amidst tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) between China and the Philippines.
In the six-page EO 57, Marcos emphasized the need for the said order amid threats to the country’s territorial integrity.
He further stressed the necessity of enhancing the country’s maritime security.
Under EO 57, Marcos renamed the National Coast Watch Council (NCWC) to the National Maritime Council (NMC), to be chaired by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin.
The National Maritime Council is tasked to formulate policies and strategies to ensure an effective plan for the maritime security of the country.
Marcos also instructed the NMC to draft and release guidelines for the effective implementation of EO 57 within 60 days of its effectiveness.
The members of the NMC include the Secretaries of the Department of National Defense, the National Security Adviser (National Security Council), and the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Environment and Natural Resources, and Foreign Affairs.
The Secretaries of the Departments of Finance, Interior and Local Government, and Transportation are also members of the NMC along with the Solicitor General and the Director General of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, created through EO 94 (s. 2016), will be included in the NMC.
This task force will also receive policy guidance from the President through the NMC.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin signed EO 57 on March 25 of this year.
