Amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea and despite the loud protests of lawmakers, the government is only allocating P80 million to improve military facilities on Pag-asa Island in Kalayaan, Palawan, next year. For all the loud noises the government makes in defending what is ours in the West Philippine Sea, Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto said it seems that the funds it is proposing in the 2024 national budget for the Kalayaan islands is a mere pittance.

dela Cruz, J. M. N. (2023, September 4). Loud noise over WPS masks pitiful ₱80M for KIG. Business Mirror, p. A10.