File photo. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. addresses reporters and editors during a sit-down interview at the Inquirer office in Makati City on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines should build infrastructure to oversee the Pacific and secure strategic access to the vast waters east of its seaboard, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. said on Tuesday.
At a congressional budget briefing, Teodoro said constructing eastward bases and logistics hubs are crucial in projecting presence over the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Rise, an underwater plateau east of Luzon believed to be rich in oil and gas deposits.
“Although the major focus right now naturally is the West Philippine Sea as an area of contest, a bigger domain actually is the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Rise,” he told lawmakers.
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